Rebirth of the Thief Who Roamed the World (重生之賊行天下)
by akirachan7
Summary: The world's largest VRMMO, Conviction, was almost like a second world for humanity. It had integrated itself into the real world's economy, with both corporations and individuals seeking their fortunes through the game. In this game, Nie Yan prided himself in his Level 180 Thief. He could barely be considered among the top experts in the game. -Full summary inside-
1. Chapter 1 - Rebirth

**Author:** Mad Snail ( **發飆的蝸牛)**  
 **Translator:** LittleShanks **  
Editor:** Sietse **,** Sergio S.  
 **Links to Raw  
** **Glossary: /sMk7rL**

Note: Author of Tales of Demons and Gods

TRANSLATOR'S SYNOPSIS V.1.2

 **Genre:** VRMMO, Adventure, Action

The world's largest VRMMO, Conviction, was almost like a second world for humanity. It had integrated itself into the real world's economy, with both corporations and individuals seeking their fortunes through the game. In this game, Nie Yan prided himself in his Level 180 Thief. He could barely be considered among the top experts in the game. Though, that was the only thing he could take pride in. He was penniless and unable to advance in life; a situation he was forced into by the enemy of his father. If it weren't for the little money he made by selling off items in Conviction, he would've barely been able to eat. In the end, he chose to settle his matters once and for all. He assassinated his father's enemy. He lay dying shortly after being shot in the pursuit. However, that wasn't the end of his story. Instead, he awoke moments later to find that he had reincarnated into his past-self. Armed with his experience and knowledge of future events, he sets out to live his life anew.

 **Chapter 1 – Rebirth**

* * *

「 _Born into suffering. Suffering leads to death._

 _Parting with one's desire leads to bitterness._

 _Bitterness leads into what one does not desire,_

 _Being unable to obtain one's desires leads into Suffering._ 」

In Buddhism, there are the Eight Sufferings; our protagonist had experienced no fewer than five of these sufferings. His whole life since birth had basically been a chronicle of tragedies. Fortunately, it was a short chronicle, because he only lived to the age of twenty-eight before facing his mortality.

Perhaps his life ought to have ended at that point. However, at that moment, fate conceived a single turning point.

Nie Yan turned over. A feeling of wetness arose from his back as his clothing clung closely to his skin. It was an uncomfortable sensation. He vaguely recalled having been shot in the back and collapsing onto the ground. His blood flowed out, seeping into the earth.

 _Isn't it just death?_ He lay there calmly where he collapsed. _To silently pass away like this… Couldn't this also be considered a peaceful death of sorts?_

He had lain in ambush for five whole days at the gates of the Cao Xu Mansion. There, he waited with great anticipation for his target to emerge. In the moment when Cao Xu nearly disappeared into his vehicle, Nie Yan pulled the trigger. Employing his sniper rifle, he delivered a bullet straight through Cao Xu's skull.「Bang!」Blood dyed the ground. Gazing through the scope from a distance, he noticed a hole in Cao Xu's head with blood flowing out smoothly.

Cao Xu's eyes stared vacantly before finally becoming blank as the light in them gradually faded away.

Replaying the event in his mind, Nie Yan felt incomparable pleasure in his heart as he recalled the scene of the bullet piercing through Cao Xu's head. Naturally, it was because he had been unburdened of his hatred.

Cao Xu possessed a lifetime of glory and splendor, yet he died at the hands of a nobody like Nie Yan. Even if he became a ghost, Nie Yan wouldn't be too particularly bitter. In the face of death, everyone was at an equal standing. Even if he had the wealth to rival nations, it still hadn't been able to save his life.

Cao Xu had committed too many evils… It would be hard for him to escape retribution in the afterlife.

At the same moment when Cao Xu's brains were blown out, Nie Yan came to a realization. His perspective on life underwent a complete transformation. S _o everything in life could be determined by no more than a single shot of a sniper rifle._ Perhaps tomorrow his picture would appear plastered on the front page of the morning newspaper. The headline would read "Millionaire Cao Xu Assassinated!" Below, a giant mug shot would lay on the page for the common people to revere and worship.

Immediately after Nie Yan had assassinated Cao Xu, Cao Xu's personal bodyguards discovered his location and went in pursuit. They shot at Nie Yan, and a single bullet managed to hit him in the back.

He felt a burst of sharp pain. _So this is how it feels to get shot…_ His heart gradually grew colder as his life force rapidly escaped his body.

 _Am I about to die?_ he thought, and let out a faint laugh. He laughed at the bitter shortness of life. He laughed at his life of confusion and hesitation. Only when he was about to die did he finally awaken to reality.

Shortly after this realization, tears began to streak down his cheeks.

The deep animosity he felt towards his parents had already ceased to exist. The events of the past were now replaying within his mind as if they were some kind of film. The only thing he longed for now in his fading time on this Earth was _her_ faint, unblemished smile.

She was Nie Yan's fellow classmate in high school. By now, she had already been engaged to someone else, yet her elegant and refined complexion remained engraved in Nie Yan's mind; the same as it was in the past. Following the passage of time, her image became all the more unforgettable. He wondered… _When she receives the news of my death, of how I took Cao Xu out with me, how will she react? Will she sigh? Or perhaps… will she shed tears in grief?_

The old memories of the past seemed to breach through their constraints and began flooding in. They were now drifting and floating within his mind. He was quite regretful. _Sometimes, when you finally realize or understand the truth of something… it is already too late to do anything about it._ In this lifetime he truly had too many regrets, too many unfulfilled desires…

Nie Yan reached out to grab at the empty air, wishing to grasp onto something… However, to his dismay, everything had gradually gone out of his reach. Alas, his life had finally reached its limit—up ahead lay only an eternally silent abyss.

Remorse and dismay resembled a dagger as it incessantly sliced at his heart; the pain in his chest was unbearable.

 _What wrongs have I committed in my past life for the Heavens to torment and punish me in such a way!?_

Nie Yan's grievances soared to the Heavens. He was bitter. He screamed resentfully in his mind as teardrops continually tumbled down his cheeks.

The moment seemed to last forever, and Nie Yan was actually completely unaware of how much time had passed. Eventually, his mind calmed down and gradually became serene.

His mind was still active as he pondered away… _Could it be…? Is this death? Perhaps, I'm in spirit form now?_

For a long time Nie Yan felt sensations in his fingers, moreover, it felt real. _Why, after all this time, why am I still conscious?_ He immediately sat up. Surveying his surroundings, he stared out blankly, at a complete loss.

 _Could it be…? Is this the underworld?_

Nie Yan's dull eyes gradually began to regain their focus. As he looked around, a few old things entered his vision: a wooden bed, a chair, and a visibly damaged floor.

 _Where is this place? Didn't I already die?_

He felt as if he were in a dream—having a sort of illusory sensation. He began feeling his back; his entire hand felt wet and sticky. However, as he moved his hand into view, he saw that his palm wasn't covered in blood but rather sweat. The wet sensation he felt earlier was due to the clothing on his back having been soaked wet in his own perspiration.

 _What's going on?_

 _Didn't I lose a lot of blood?_ He vaguely recalled his blood being red. It was just like red wine, except with a scarlet tint; it was the colour of his life gradually fading away.

Nie Yan still felt pain after pinching himself. _This really isn't a dream. Don't tell me… assassinating Cao Xu was a dream as well?_

 _Why did it feel so real?_

 _It was just as_ _Zhuang Zhuo_ _muttered as he awoke from a dream, "Am I Zhuang Zhuo who dreamt I was a butterfly, or a butterfly who dreamt it was Zhang Zhuo?"_

 _How do I determine what is real, and what is a dream?_

He surveyed his surroundings with a hint of doubt. There were just too many questions left unanswered.

Within the dim lighting, there was a shabby-looking wooden bed, chair, and desk. By the wall, there stood the grandfather clock his old man loved to exaggerate as a priceless antique.「Tick Tock Tick Tock」The sound it produced echoed into the silence. Nie Yan recalled that the clock's time had never been accurate, not even once.

It was as if his past memories were stored in an old photo album, they slowly began opening up.

 _This room here feels so familiar. Isn't this the house I lived in when I was in high school?_

Through the gap in the window curtains, sunlight shone in. He felt a stinging sensation as the sunlight entered his eyes, causing his pupils to violently contract. This was a type of dazzling awakening into reality.

 _I'm still alive…_ Nie Yan stretched his right hand forward. He gazed at its tenderness and slight immaturity before noticing the sickly pale skin tone.

 _I… What's going on here? Am I myself from ten years in the past, or am I myself from ten years in the future?_ Nie Yan scratched his hair in great bewilderment.

Aligning his train of thought, a few fragments from his memories began emerging. Gradually, they became clearer and distinct.

This was the year he turned eighteen. It was summer vacation and his parents weren't home. He had developed a forty degree fever that summer and nearly died… Only through luck did he manage to keep his life.

During that time, his parents had left him with a bit of money—immediately afterward, they took off without a word of goodbye. They never returned home, not even after two or three months, and he wasn't able to reach them through their cellphones either. It was as if they had just vanished without a trace. At that time, he believed his parents didn't want him anymore. He was alarmed… terrified… scared. All kinds of emotions began to plague and burden him. In addition to this, he had also developed that high fever. The experience left a deep trauma within his heart. He became timid, cowering at the slightest breeze. It took him until the age of twenty-five to begin correcting that personality to some extent.

Only afterwards, when he grew up, did he find out that his parents hadn't abandoned him on purpose. Rather, they had borrowed money from a family friend and started up a smuggling businesses at the country's borders. At that time, the country urgently needed a type of metal called polonium; it proved to be an important strategic resource. Following every nation's discovery of this metal's usage, they rapidly began placing restrictions on its export and started hoarding the resource for themselves. It was unknown how Nie Yan's parents were able to find such a source. Although, in the end, they managed to smuggle the metal back into the country, selling it to the government at several hundred times the price they purchased it for. As a result, they earned a huge sum of money.

Their current circumstances at the time were very stressful and nerve-racking. Thus, Nie Yan's parents were unable to contact him through the phone. Furthermore, their matters were classified military secrets. If any information were to leak out, it would result in their deaths. As a consequence, Nie Yan and his parents' misunderstanding became buried in such a way. It took many years after the matter had passed for his father to inform him of the truth, and only then did Nie Yan forgive the both of them.

It was that year when his father had earned his first major payout and used it to establish a smelting company. Furthermore, he undertook and completed several large projects, advancing the company's reputation by leaps and bounds. He resolved his family's plight, and as a result, Nie Yan was transferred over to a high-class school within the city.

 _Is it possible? Have I really returned to that time?_

 _I can start all over again from the beginning?_

Nie Yan's current emotional state was hard to describe; pleasant surprise and nervous apprehension interweaved with each other as his emotions swayed all over the place. He was anxious that everything occurring now was simply a dream.

Nie Yan climbed out of his bed and opened the window curtains. Rays of sunlight were scalding as they released their scorching heat onto his skin. The sensation clearly informed him that at present, he truly wasn't dreaming.

He bent his head down to see that beside the windowsill lay his textbooks, arranged neatly on the table: mechanical theory, automation, language, advanced mathematics, A.I design, and so on…

Nie Yan flipped open a few pages. The familiar characters were like a clear stream. Along with his past memories, they rejuvenated his mind. These textbooks represented the youth that had passed by. After reaching his senior year of high school, he transferred to a high-class inner-city school. The projects that his father had undertaken succeeded. From then on, any materialistic desires he had were easily satisfied. His rise into becoming a well-off son of an entrepreneur caused him to turn lazy and idle. By the time he had graduated high school, his academic marks were definitely less than stellar. Afterwards, his father spent quite a bit of money to allow him to attend a famous university. Only… by the time he graduated from university, he had learned absolutely nothing; he wasted every day sitting around idly.

When he reached the age of twenty-five, his father's business started suffering from the attacks of the Cao Xu Century Financial Group. Several family friends who were also trusted confidants were bribed by Cao Xu into betraying Nie Yan's father. Thus, his company met with several setbacks in quick succession… Money, once more, had become a concern for the family. His father committed suicide by overdosing on drugs, and his mother fell ill due to the grief. She eventually passed away in the end as well. Only after suffering the pain of losing both his parents did Nie Yan begin making progress in his studies—self-studying in numerous courses. However, by that time it was already too late. He had simply missed too many opportunities.

Once full of longing, Nie Yan was prepared to hew out a piece of the world for himself. However, how could Cao Xu allow the son of his former enemy to make a comeback? With Cao Xu interfering behind the scenes, there wasn't a single company who dared to hire him, leaving Nie Yan with nowhere to go. If it weren't for him playing the Virtual Reality game Conviction—scraping by with what little income he could earn by selling items, he wouldn't have been able to even eat a meal.

He had no hopes of gloriously defeating Cao Xu by rising to prominence as an underdog. However, an anxious hare could still give a nasty bite. Being at an impasse, Nie Yan's final decision was to take Cao Xu out with him. The sound of the gunshot vented out all of Nie Yan's resentments and loathing.

His destiny seemed bright and clear, so Cao Xu probably never thought his life would conclude in such a way.

Nie Yan believed himself to have died and never expected Time to play a joke on him, returning him to the summer vacation of his second year in high school. 1

And though he still wasn't able to contact his parents, he could at least be certain they were still alive. When he thought of this, tears began filling his eyes.

When a son wanted to provide for his parents yet the parents were already gone… No other person was capable of understanding the bitterness and grief in Nie Yan's heart.

The Heavens had given him another chance. He would absolutely never become confused and act indecisively again.

It would take a little over twenty days for his mother and father to return home. Since it was summer vacation right now, at the moment, he had no choice but to stay at home.

 _That year… in the second-half of the semester during my second year of high school, if I recall correctly, the Virtual Reality game, Conviction, had just recently been released._ Nie Yan distinctly remembered the scene of countless financial firms establishing a presence in Conviction's rapidly rising popularity on the year of the game's release. They poured tremendous amounts of resources into the large-scale development of this Virtual Reality game. It was truly due to these numerous financial firms that Conviction deservedly became the second world for humanity.

After he entered the high-class inner city school, he was finally introduced to the game by his best friend, by that time a semester had already passed. Only by then, many people were already at a very high level. He had already missed the best period of time to begin leveling. Left behind, he had no choice but to try and catch up with all his might.

The faded pages of the photo album—his memory—once again turned anew, revealing their bright colours. The most unforgettable moments in his life had come from the time he'd spent in the game. He had come to know so many friends in that game. In the calendar of his life, it was only because of them that those days of loneliness had not appeared too excessively senseless.

Prior to assassinating Cao Xu, Nie Yan was formerly a Level 180+ Great Thief. Though he wasn't at the summit, he could barely be considered to be among the top experts.

Nie Yan suddenly recalled there was a bank card containing all of his savings in the drawer.

 _I have the money to buy a Virtual Reality helmet!_ Nie Yan thought to himself. Pulling open the drawer, he turned everything over, searching. At last, he found a silver-white bank card from the corner of the drawer. If he recalled correctly, the amount of money stored inside his bank account was two thousand credits; one credit the equivalent of one dollar. This money had come from him saving expenses on food and clothes over the course of several years. Back then, he wanted to buy the most advanced Model X3 computer. However, by the time he waited the several years needed to save up the money, the Model X3 had already become obsolete. Naturally, his pocket money was not merely this little after his father's business had become successful. Due to his father wanting to make it up to Nie Yan, he gave Nie Yan practically everything he asked for. Something he wanted…? If it could be bought, it would arrive.

Nie Yan was eighteen years old this year. However, he possessed the soul of his twenty-eight-year-old self. Everything would once again start anew. From henceforth, a new chapter in his life would open up. However, without the sufficient capital, he wouldn't be able to accomplish anything. So, he would start from the game. Using his prior experiences of the game, becoming a professional gamer and earning a little bit of money was a very simple affair.

Nie Yan remembered the time when Conviction's first gaming helmets had just begun selling. In an effort to make them spread, the prices were unusually cheap. There were three entry models: Model A, B, and C. Each entry model's configurations were unique. The immersion level of the Virtual Reality helmets ranged from 76%–98%. A sum of a thousand three hundred credits was enough to afford the cheapest model. With the current amount of money Nie Yan had stored in his savings, it was sufficient for him to purchase the lowest tier model Virtual Reality helmet.

He could clearly and distinctly recall many items and things from the game. If he started all over again, it wouldn't be too difficult for him to procure some results.

Placing his bank card within his pocket, he shifted his gazed towards the advanced mathematics textbook on the side. As if God himself had just slightly nudged the textbook up, it trembled a little bit before a crisp new hundred dollar bill emerged and fell out. At that moment, he recalled several things as memories once again began floating into his mind.

He suddenly remembered that the first meeting between him and Xie Yao would occur today. He had taken the hundred dollar bill and left the house to buy medicine at the pharmacy.

Xie Yao was his deskmate during his senior year of high school, as well as the prettiest girl in his class. Once again, he reminisced on this past event, a segment of his life that he couldn't bear to look at without causing his wrists to tremble. After nearly a decade had passed, Xie Yao and the publically recognized gifted student in his class, Liu Rui, had fallen in love; the two of them had moved together to the Moon. Only after he and Xie Yao communicated through several calls did he find out Xie Yao was not the least bit happy. When matters relating to the past in his senior year of high school were brought up, both of them would sigh incessantly.

If he had just been a little bit more courageous… if only he wasn't so gutless and inferior in front of Xie Yao. Perhaps, he wouldn't have missed his chance…

Sometimes… there were decisions that lasted for an entire lifetime; they would become regrets that one would never be able to resolve.

At the time, Xie Yao always liked wearing a white skirt. Pure and beautiful, her appearance remained engraved deeply in Nie Yan's heart. This sort of melancholic yearning was just like the sound of a flute playing in the evening, tranquil and far away in the distance…

Nie Yan glimpsed at the shabby-looking clock, the hands pointing to three o'clock. _There still might be enough time!_ He picked up the hundred dollar bill, rushed down the stairs out, and out the door.

His family lived in a suburban district. It was extremely bleak. A shabby street that wasn't at all wide, and as the wind blew over, it picked up a lot of dust. Contrary to what one might expect, many trees were seeded on either side of the street. Under the blazing hot sunlight, they remained lush and flourishing, casting shade on the earth below them…

Greeted with a hot afternoon, no pedestrians could be seen walking by. Cars were also few and far between… Occasionally, one or two hover cars would drive by…

In the past, Nie Yan had loathed this town very much. However, after his reincarnation, as he once again met with this bleak place, Nie Yan did not feel loathing or disgust. To the contrary, he unexpectedly felt an amiable familiarity. This was the place he lived in when he was eighteen years old.

Before Nie Yan reached the age of twenty-five he was timid and weak; it was not unrelated to the living environment of the former years of his life. He was just a little boy from a small town whose family suddenly became wealthy, and because of this, he was transferred over to a high-class city school.¹ Originally during his first and second year of high school, his academics could actually be regarded as pretty exceptional. However, by the end, it was the complete inverse. He was also frequently ridiculed for wearing tacky clothing. In addition to the events that occurred during that hot summer, it caused him to have a very low self-esteem and left behind many psychological insecurities. By the time he moved to a new environment, he had already become insecure and timid, seemingly never fitting in with everything and everyone. If he hadn't come to know several good friends, it would be hard to say he wouldn't have suffered a mental breakdown.

However, this was in the past. Presently, never did he expect that after going through an entire lifetime, he would return to where it all started. This time, he promised to himself that he would never repeat the mistakes of his previous self again.

He sprinted off towards the pharmacy.

The surrounding buildings looked somewhat shabby, there were no signs of human life… Following the increasing speed of the urbanization process, the people of this small town would migrate towards the dense crowds of large cities. And the area within this small town's borders would become increasingly desolate as the population became fewer and fewer. After a hundred years, this area would become demolished and once more change into an open field…

 _Over here is the school, and on the other side is the supermarket…_ Like an old horse that knew the way, Nie Yan gazed at the surrounding buildings with familiarity. His frame of mind gradually became more optimistic. _I've gone back! I've truly gone back!_

In the past, he had always held a lot resentment towards his unjust fate. However, now he was grateful towards the Heavens.

 _I'm going to start all over again! I'll do it right this time!_ Nie Yan was tempted to scream these words at the top of his lungs, venting out all of the indescribable emotions he had held within his heart.

* * *

1\. Chinese people start high school at grade 10, so they only have three years of high school as opposed to our four.


	2. Chapter 2 - To Meet once Again

**Chapter 2 – To Meet Once Again**

* * *

Nie Yan increasingly neared the pharmacy. However, as he was crossing the road, as if by some supernatural occurrence, he tripped and fell hard onto the pavement.

When one reaches the peak of happiness, sorrow is soon to strike.

「Ssssss…ah.」Nie Yan hissed in pain. His hands felt numb from breaking the fall, and his knee was bleeding from scraping off the pavement.

Nie Yan sat up with great difficulty; his knee had been badly cut open, exposing raw flesh and blood.

At that time, a pink hovercar happened to be passing through the area. It halted, not far from where Nie Yan had fallen. The hovercar was of top quality, truly a rare sight in this peaceful little town. It appeared to be a limited edition hovercar, valued around ninety million dollars—something an ordinary family certainly couldn't afford.

A young lady in a white skirt appeared, stepping out after the car door was opened. Urgently, she ran over to where Nie Yan had fallen.

"Fellow student, are you alright?" A clear and pleasant voice appeared to be deeply concerned as it passed through Nie Yan's ears.

Hearing this voice so familiar to his heart, his soul began to tremble. He turned his head to look; if the person appearing before his eyes wasn't Xie Yao, then who else could it be?

She was wearing a white dress dotted with pink lace. Her hair was tied behind her back as her clear and charming eyes gazed on with concern. Her cheeks, appearing still somewhat childish, were brimming with youth and life. She was still as beautiful as ever.

Nie Yan absentmindedly recalled the high school reunion that had occurred six years after his graduation. At that time, Xie Yao had become a successful businesswoman. She had worn a beautiful and enchanting OL dress.

Time was indeed a wondrous thing—changing a pure and innocent young girl into a charming and beautiful woman… and at present, once again changing her back.

 _After a whole lifetime, I've met you again… Perhaps this is fate, our destinies rewinding like magnetic tape, placing us two once again at where we first encountered._ Melodious music slowly began playing in his soul; every single note so pleasant and beautiful to listen to.

Nie Yan still kept the memories of the day he and Xie Yao had first come across each other; it had mirrored this exact scene. His eyes were moist, _Xie Yao… I haven't seen you in such a long time. Are you still doing fine? In this lifetime, I'll never let you go again…_

"Ah! Your knee is badly scraped, and it's bleeding badly!" Xie Yao called out in alarm. After recalling that the first aid kit in her car still had a few bandages, she quickly ran back to retrieve them.

Nie Yan watched as Xie Yao returned to her vehicle. During his senior year, what he loved to do the most was follow her elegant little figure with his eyes. Glancing at her seductive figure, her knee length skirt revealed snow-white skin that resembled exquisite jade. On that topic, Nie Yan's appearance also couldn't be considered too bad. Following his father's success, his financial circumstances had also become pretty good; he wasn't the least bit inferior to Xie Yao. However, when facing her, he could never rouse up enough courage to interact with her.

His state of mind during senior year was odd and hard to fathom. Looking back as an adult, he felt he truly was too immature at the time.

Xie Yao grabbed the bandages and walked over to Nie Yan's side. She then began disinfecting the wound with antiseptics. Moving with extreme care, she picked off the tiny bits of gravel with her delicate fingers.

"How can you cry? You're already a grown boy. How could a little wound like this cause you to tear up? It's not a very good appearance, you know!~" Xie Yao smiled teasingly while using her thumb to massage Nie Yan's bruised knee.

When she smiled, the corners of her mouth exposed her slight dimples, revealing a type of indescribably bright charm.

"When I fell, there was just a little dust that got into my eyes." Nie Yan's cheeks became a little red as he absentmindedly replied with an excuse. The real reason he had cried wasn't due to the injury on his knee in the slightest. It was Xie Yao's appearance which caused him to feel as if boiling hot water had been poured over his head. His state of mind was in a chaotic mess: an overwhelming amount of bitterness and joy mixed together wanted to surge out of him.

Xie Yao's attention was singlemindedly focused on Nie Yan's bruised knee.

Nie Yan raised his head and gazed at Xie Yao's face as she leaned in towards him. Her skin, like flawless white jade, was tender and supple. A strand of black hair hung down as he gazed at the beautiful earrings that hung from her earlobes.

In the past when he and Xie Yao were deskmates, he always liked to secretly peek at her during class time. Though no matter how much he looked, he felt he could never look enough.

Xie Yao was without a doubt the prettiest girl in their class; however, other classes had very pretty girls too. Nie Yan, on the other hand, firmly believed Xie Yao was the most beautiful girl in the entire school.

After their first encounter, Nie Yan had never forgotten her. Later on, when he entered his senior year of high school, he was surprised to discover the both of them were in the same class. Not only that… but they were also deskmates as well. He came to believe this occurrence was predestined. It wasn't until ten years later that he came to understand… even if two people were fated to be together, if one didn't properly seize their opportunity, they would miss their chance. By the time he became aware of this, it was already too late.

"How could you come here all by yourself!? This is a really dangerous area where a lot of criminals operate!" Nie Yan said in a genuinely concerned tone. It truly was an area occupied by many criminal organizations. An especially dangerous place for a beautiful young girl like Xie Yao to be alone.

"Don't underestimate me! I'm a third level black belt in taekwondo! After I turn twenty-one, I'll be able to advance onto the fourth level. If you don't believe me, then let me show you!" Xie Yao took up an open stance, then suddenly halted as her face turned dizzily red. She stalled and said, "Actually, nevermind… I'm wearing a skirt today, but I really am super strong!" Xie Yao said innocently without the slightest trace of scheming.

Nie Yan replied with a laugh, and after chatting with Xie Yao for a while, he confirmed that this young lady in front of him was indeed Xie Yao—the girl who was so sincere, lovable, lively, and carefree. Yet after graduating university and meeting up once again, that sort of lively innocence soon became something he could never see again. It turns out going through a stressful period of time would indefinitely change anyone…

Xie Yao began sizing Nie Yan up a bit. Compared to herself, he seemed to be younger than her by a few years. His height was also roughly the same as hers, appearing to be only around a hundred seventy centimeters. The clothes he wore were a little dirty, possibly from falling over just now. Appearance wise—although he couldn't be regarded as handsome—he was passable. Only, she didn't seem to know why, but she felt an indescribable sort of familiarity and closeness towards Nie Yan. Unknowingly, they ended up chatting for quite a while.

"What school are you from? From your appearance… it looks as though you should be studying in middle school, right?" Xia Yao felt Nie Yan was a little bit foolish and empty-headed, so silly it was slightly adorable. _Not minding the ground while he was running, many boys from middle school are foolish like this. They become a lot more mature by the time they reach high school though._

Although Nie Yan was eighteen years old right now, he had the wisdom of a twenty-eight-year-old. When he met with Xie Yao once again, Nie Yan was no longer the confused, ignorant little boy he had been in the past. His spirit had been refined and tempered by the passage of time; he had become calm and collected.

"Who said I'm in middle school? If it weren't for the country's child policy, my son would already be old enough to buy groceries himself!" Nie Yan replied jokingly. _As a person, one shouldn't be so deadpan and boring._

"Your son? Buying groceries himself? Stop joking around!" Nie Yan's words had caused Xie Yao to burst out into laughter, causing her to giggle nonstop.

"I'm eighteen."

"Are you really eighteen? You don't look like you're around my age," Xie Yao said in surprise.

Due to being a bit malnourished, Nie Yan's present height was evidently a bit short—around a hundred sixty-five centimetres tall. When his living conditions had improved later on, his height soared up to a hundred eighty centimetres by the time he had reached his senior year of high school. His current appearance still seemed that of a juvenile, and he really did look like a middle schooler. This was the reason why he had always looked a little depressed.

The most unfortunate thing for him, as a twenty-eight-year-old, was unexpectedly being told he looked like a middle school student. However, he really did look baby-faced at present, so there was nothing that could be done. "This is because my face looks naturally younger compared to others."

"If you're young, you're young. You still won't admit it?" Xie Yao replied giggling. She came to feel this Nie Yan was a pretty amusing person. All the boys in her class were always either shy when they met her, never knowing what to say, or haughty delinquents that brought her disgust.

The two talked for quite a while. Nie Yan appeared very comfortable when conversing with Xie Yao, occasionally teasing her with a few clever quips that made her laugh.

Nie Yan gazed at Xie Yao's smiling expression that was simply beautiful. It reminded him of the time he had graduated high school. He and Xie Yao had been deskmates for a year, and he had always believed the two of them could never form any sort of connection. They were two people from completely different worlds. He continued to admire Xie Yao in secret, gifting Xie Yao whatever she asked for. However, he had never made a demand for Xie Yao to remember a lowly person such as himself. Never did he expect that after graduation he would unexpectedly receive a gift from her. Perhaps, he really had left an impression in Xie Yao's heart.

What appeared in the gift was a photograph of Xie Yao as a twelve-year-old. At the time, she was still a chubby little fat girl. It was a picture that would only be shared with someone she considered herself to be close to.

After graduation, Nie Yan remained incapable of forgetting Xie Yao and both of them continued to stay in touch.

After being reborn, Nie Yan would never again allow himself to miss his opportunity.

Having once more encountered each other, Nie Yan's state of mind fell into somewhat of a daze. In his past life, and in his current life, he and Xie Yao shared an unbreakable bond tied by fate.

Her clear and limpid eyes stealthily glanced at Nie Yan's face, sizing him up. Although Nie Yan wasn't particularly handsome, even looking very ordinary at first, and despite looking very childish, he had a very indescribable calmness. _Perhaps it has to do with his personality?_

"My name is Nie Yan (聂言). The _Nie_ written with 'pair' (双) and 'ear' (耳), and the _Yan_ written as 'word' (言) in 'language' (語言)," Nie Yan said while gazing at Xie Yao directly in the eyes.

Xie Yao's charming face became flustered as she tried to avoid Nie Yan's gaze.

"I'm called Xie Yao…"

Nie Yan shifted his gaze downwards, stopping at Xie Yao's lips. They were a faint pink in colour—soft with a glossy allure. The previous Nie Yan in his senior year of high school would absolutely never dare to gaze at Xie Yao's face in such a way. He had only dared to stealthily sneak glances at Xie Yao's beautiful face from the corner of his eye.

"My father is still waiting for me, so I-I'll be leaving first… I felt very happy chatting with you today. But remember, you can only remove your bandage by tomorrow! You definitely can't remove it any earlier!" Xie Yao didn't feel assured, so she repeatedly warned Nie Yan as she stood up.

Nie Yan attempted to move his knee a bit, and noticed that he was able to do so without issue—the wound was only superficial.

"I'm alright. I can already walk again, so you should go back now. Also, thank you for today," Nie Yan replied. Despite wanting to talk with Xie Yao for a little while longer, he ended up walking back to the curb. They would be studying at the same high-class city school in the future, and he would have plenty of opportunities to get to know her then.

"I'll be leaving first then…"

"Bye bye," Nie Yan replied smiling, as he began strolling away. As he walked up to the pharmacy, he couldn't help but feel a little sentimental in his heart. After briefly meeting one another, they parted once again.

Xie Yao sat in her hovercar and started it back up.

Nie Yan turned his head and glanced back, but by that time Xie Yao's hovercar had already departed. They had met in the past like this, completely by accident. However, it didn't go as smoothly as this last time as the previous him hadn't even been able to form a single coherent word in front Xie Yao. The Xie Yao back then had wrapped up his leg with a bandage and left right after. Though it was this chance encounter, caused by his carelessness, that allowed Xie Yao to leave an inerasable mark in his heart. It was to the extent where he had never forgotten her.

Reincarnating is such a wonderful thing; everything could once again start afresh. Nie Yan then came to think, his everything could very likely be snatched away by Cao Xu in a couple of years down the road. In his mind rose a strong sense of urgency… He had to become much more powerful to be able to protect everything that he held dear.

Thinking about Cao Xu, Nie Yan's heart gradually grew colder. This was a loathing that penetrated deep into one's marrow—to the extent where he felt not the slightest hesitation in putting a bullet through his enemy's head.

However, for now, all he was currently able to do was seize his opportunity and enter Conviction as quickly as possible, to set up an early foundation in the game. Conviction was unlike any other game, naturally because it was humanity's second world. The game had transformed the entire globe. Nie Yan could obtain what he wanted by playing Conviction.

At the pharmacy, he bought a few packets of cold medicine. As he swallowed it down, he immediately felt his body relax as his fever receded. At present, he felt the medicine's effects were very satisfactory.

After he finished up in the pharmacy, he walked over to the department store in the area. He planned to buy a Virtual Reality helmet.

Every department store had a dazzling lineup of products within. They had many kinds of appliances and devices; so many, they couldn't be counted. For the most part, they were all smart devices. There were some products Nie Yan wasn't even able to name. This place had no sales representatives; you only need swipe your card and you'd be able to receive whatever you wanted to buy.

Half a day had passed since Nie Yan left his house, and finally, he had reached the section where they sold Virtual Reality helmets. They were displayed one by one stacked on top of the wall. It was a feast for the eyes; there were three entry models differentiated by thousands of styles, patterns, and designs.

The lowest price was thirteen hundred credits while the most expensive reached upwards of a million and two hundred thousand credits.

The higher the price, the better the configuration. You get what you pay for, and at present Nie Yan could only afford the cheapest configuration.

Besides the currently available Virtual Reality helmets, there were also limited edition ones that could be purchased only by making a reservation. Their prices reached upwards of sixty million credits.

Regarding these helmets, at present, Nie Yan could only wish for them in his thoughts—nothing more.

Nie Yan swiped his card at the register. He had chosen a light-blue coloured helmet and furthermore bound it to his identity. Once his identity was registered to the helmet, it could only be used by him from then on.

Conviction had only been released seven days ago, thus the highest leveled player was probably only level 5. So he still had plenty of time to catch up.

After having been reborn, he should be able to effortlessly obliterate any opponent in his way in a grand and imposing manner. "Step up to the highest peak, and all mountains below will be seen as insignificant."


	3. Chapter 3 - Haggling

**Chapter 3 – Haggling**

* * *

Nie Yan glanced back at the clock, it was already half past three. Conviction's game servers were open from five in the afternoon to nine in the morning—sixteen hours total. In this way, it wouldn't be a hindrance to the common person's work schedule. Thus, everyone's game time was more or less equivalent. Hence, it made it unlikely for any single player to create a large disparity in level compared to the rest of the player-base. In addition, Conviction's Virtual Reality technology exceeded perfection. As a result, it gained increasing popularity, eventually becoming popular all over the globe. It gradually transformed into an absolute necessity in everyone's life.

This was the world that had become dominated by Virtual Reality technology; it had become a perfect system. Five months later, Conviction would complete this system by connecting virtual currency with the real world economy, thus completely merging into humanity's livelihood.

With such a high rate of player retention, the player-base was able to grow to a tremendous amount. It spurred the increasing consumption of Virtual Reality in the rest of the world. The amount of time the world spent playing Conviction every year was so astronomical, it was to the extent that it surpassed the amount of time they spent in reality. The emergence of numerous new consumer groups caused the creation of a great number of service industries, a vast majority of which targeted the professional gaming community.

Almost every financial group had established a presence in Conviction. Following the establishment of his father's business—after the company had produced decent earnings—Nie Yan's father also began participating in Conviction's rising popularity. He put up a large sum of money into the game as well. Though in the end, due to suffering a crushing defeat, it resulted in the company and its assets being brought to ruin. This allowed Cao Xu the opportunity to seize even more of an advantage… Nie Yan absolutely wouldn't allow such a situation to occur again.

Establishing an early presence in Conviction was essential, and it was crucial that he mustn't fail. Nie Yan needed to first help his father by paving the road ahead. Only when his father begins injecting funds into Conviction, will he be able to establish an uninterrupted chain of funding and take the first steps towards success. This would prevent any problems from arising in the future.

Nie Yan made a stop and ate out for dinner, spending thirty dollars. By the time he had arrived home, it was already nearing five o'clock.

After putting on his helmet, he calmly waited for Conviction to boot up.

Twelve minutes had passed. The helmet's display gradually illuminated, revealing the time to be [05:00 PM]. Abruptly, a lively jingle began playing, echoing through his ears. The tune felt familiar; it had been something he'd heard countless times in the past. He never felt any particular attachment towards it. However, it currently felt strangely pleasant to his ears.

 **「System: Do you wish to create an account?」**

"Yes!"

 **「System: Please select your country.」**

There were three factions you could choose from when entering Conviction. The first was the righteous faction who guarded the light. This faction consisted of the Viridian (Ge-lín-lan) Empire and Satreen (Sa-te-en) Empire. The Viridian Empire was a nation ruled by humans and governed by an Elder Parliament. The Satreen Empire, on the other hand, was a nation formed from the alliance between dwarves, beastmen, and elves. The second was the evil faction who guarded the darkness; it was ruled by a tyrant who reigned over both the devils and undead. For people who didn't enjoy conflict, there was a third faction which was neutral and ruled by the irenic giant tribe.

In the past, Nie Yan had chosen the Tempest Thief class of the Viridian Empire, which meant he was also quite familiar with the landscape of the empire. Furthermore, he was well acquainted with the Tempest Thief's skills and class quests. If he had chosen a different starting nation, then the superior advantage he had gained from being reborn wouldn't be worth much in the end.

Nie Yan held a special type of affection for the Tempest Thief class. After all, he had dedicated nearly a decade of painstaking effort into it. The Level 180 Thief represented the height of his glory.

When he considered all these factors, he selected the Tempest Thief as his class once again—just as he had in the past.

 **「System: You've chosen to start in the Viridian Empire.」**

 **「System: You've selected Tempest Thief as your class.」**

 **「System: Please name your character.」**

(涅)Nie (炎)Yan

"Nirvana Flame!" Nie Yan chose the same name as he had in the past. "Nirvana Flame"—though these words were pronounced in the same way as his real name when they were spoken, they presented the meaning of a phoenix entering nirvana and being reborn.

 **「System: Successfully created character name. The character Nirvana Flame has been created.」**

The game automatically blurred the player's true appearance after entering. Then, the system would conduct minor alterations to the face of the player's character. Under normal circumstances, the appearance of the player's character and the player's actual appearance were vastly different. It would actually be quite difficult to recognize a player in real life. However, the actual beauty or ugliness of the character was more or less equivalent to how it would be outside the game.

Nie Yan opened his status window and took a look at his own stats.

These were the base stats for every type of Thief in the beginning of the game. Furthermore, at Level 0, the system gave five stat points and one mastery point.

Nie Yan took a glance at his status window. When he had chosen the Tempest Thief class in the past, he had added one point in Strength, two points in Dexterity, and two points in Physique in order to make himself more durable. In turn, it caused him to have a very weak attack power and slow attack speed during the initial stages of the game, causing him to waste a lot of his time trying to level. In reality, thieves never required a lot of HP at the start of the game. In the past, when he thought about this failure and all the time he had wasted, Nie Yan couldn't help but drop his shoulders down and sigh many times, wishing he could delete and restart again. This time around, he wouldn't repeat such a disastrous mistake again.

This time, he added three points into Strength and two points in Dexterity. He had concluded this was the most optimum ratio, after taking into account the leveling habits of his previous life. He took another glance at the status window after allocating all of his stat points.

 **Attack 5 → 6**

 **Hit Rate 10.0 → 10.6**

 **Movement Speed 5.0 → 5.4**

 **Attack Speed 5 → 5.6**

There were also class masteries. Regarding these Thief class masteries, a majority of thieves from the Human race would choose to add their first mastery point into either Evasion, Weapon Mastery, or Cloaking. Nie Yan was also prepared to add his first mastery point into Weapon Mastery, but he stopped suddenly. After a moment of careful consideration, he decided to add his first mastery point into Marksman.

 **Beginner Marksman → Intermediate Marksman: Rapid Reloading +3, Firing Range + 3, Attack when using crossbow/bow +3, Ignore Level +3 (Thief Class Modifier + 1),**

Class masteries were divided into five levels. Beginner→Intermediate→Advanced→Expert→Specialist. One could not advance further after reaching Specialist. However, there were many types of class masteries, and different class were allowed to upgrade different class maseteries.

Human thieves were proficient in a variety of tools and enchanted items. Bows and crossbows belonged to this category, which is why those with Intermediate Marksman received an additional attack bonus when they were used.

After assigning his stats, Nie Yan's scenery shifted and he soon appeared at the transfer point within Calore (Ka-luo-er) City. Encompassing the surroundings were rows upon rows of towering buildings. Every building in Calore City was pure white and possessed an incomparable brilliance. At the center of the city stood a white spire which towered through the skies. Not too far from the spire was an equally magnificent pure white sculpture that stood several hundred meters in height. Holding onto a Magician's sceptre, it had a solemn and dignified expression. This was, of course, the protector of the Viridian Empire, Jebiah the Great.

People were arriving and departing as they moved through the main streets, which were bustling with noise and excitement.

Evening in reality was actually early morning within the game. The light of daybreak enveloped and warmed the top of every building as if a blanket of silver white light had been laid over all of Calore City.

Calore City was the capital of the Viridian Empire; it was a floating city that lay suspended over the Calore Prairies. From the city, numerous transfer points connected to various other cities, towns, and villages.

"Selling top rate White-grade dagger (Attack +2)! It's better than the novice dagger (Attack +1), and only costs two copper coins! Only three left in stock until they're all sold out!" A Level 3 Arcane Mage had currently set up shop near the transfer point. Many beginners were crowding in front of his store.

Every new person who enters the game receives ten coppers in their inventory as their starting capital. Even though they felt their hearts ache, many people still purchased one of these daggers for the sake of training a little bit faster in the initial stages of the game.

Nie Yan snorted in disdain. On the map, the same daggers could be found in Level 1–5 villages being sold for only one copper. Furthermore, Level 0 players could easily walk up to a transfer point and teleport to one of these villages free of charge. They could purchase one of these daggers from an NPC, and then come back—all within two or three minutes.

In his previous life, he had also foolishly bought one of these daggers, only to find out he had been cheated later on.

The nearby towns each had their own stores; the small town of Link had a clothing shop, Joseph Town had a hat and shoe store, and Locke Town had a shop that sold weapons. Nie Yan teleported back and forth three times through the transfer points. He spent six coppers to switch out his defenseless beginner equipment for better gear. Each piece of equipment gave him an increase in Defense. He gained 1–2 Defense each from equipping his new footwear, headgear, shoulder guards, and leg protectors. He also gained an additional 2–3 Defense from equipping cloth armour.

These were all lessons he had learned from his past experiences. Taking a look at his Defense, it had now become 8–13. If beginner thieves at Level 2 or 3 weren't resourceful enough in keeping their equipment up with their levels, they would also have this little bit of defense.

After taking a stroll around the marketplace, he discovered a Level 3 Paladin selling Thief class Stealth skill books. He was selling six books for six coppers each in his store. Many of the low-level thieves could only gaze from afar due to the price of these skill books being so expensive.

The Paladin had the appearance of a man in his twenties. His stature was tall and robust. it would've been pretty good if he had chosen to be a Warrior, but he was still passable as a Paladin.

Paladins were guardians of the Temple of Light. They could learn holy skills passed down from the Temple such as certain offensive enchantments or healing skills. Furthermore, they had decent close combat skills and could provide supportive party buffs for teammates at the same time. They were a pretty balanced class in every aspect. Silencing Paladins were Paladins that could learn Silence—a divine skill that could suppress Mages, Priests, and other Mage type classes.

"How much for this Stealth skill book?" Nie Yan asked as he bent down and picked up the skill book from the cloth mat that was spread out on the ground. The Stealth skill was an essential skill for a beginner Thief. Luckily, though, the Stealth skill book had a very high drop rate from the various monster spawn points, so it wasn't too expensive.

"You've already seen it, the price is six coppers," the Paladin replied, pursing his lips into a frown.

"Aren't you just trying to rip people off? A Silencing Paladin like you can easily hunt down the Fallen Shamans around Link Town. You could easily farm out six skills books in a day, and still not lose any health. It's definitely much easier to make money this way compared to farming Goblins. Aren't you ashamed of yourself, selling at such a high price? Three coppers, and not a copper more." Nie Yan haggled down the price to half.

"How could it be as easy as you described? Do you even know much I spend on potions a day? If I sold it to you for three coppers, I basically wouldn't be making any money! My lowest offer is five coppers." The Paladin was shocked by Nie Yan's words and had taken quite a while to reply. He definitely wasn't the type of person who was calculating and skillful at deceiving others. At a glance, this new player in front was definitely a well-informed customer, definitely not someone to be easily fooled.

"That's because the place you're farming monsters at is inefficient. If you farm the Fallen Shamans at these coordinates, **22385.21338.23329** , you can easily get at least ten skill books a day. Not only that, you won't waste a lot of money on potions as well. Three coppers, not a single copper more. If you don't want to sell, then I'll just take my leave." Nie Yan had inspected this Paladin. He had a squarish jawline with slightly grown out stubble, and his appearance didn't seem too despicable.


	4. Chapter 4 - Flying Stone

**Chapter 4 – Flying Stone**

* * *

"W-wait a minute! What did you say those coordinate numbers were? Does that place truly drop many Stealth skill books?" the Paladin hurriedly asked. After hearing the manner in which Nie Yan had spoken in, he somewhat began to believe this passing Thief.

" **22385.21338.23329** , the location is near the Fallen Shaman Camp, but it's still a fair distance away. The area should be absolutely safe. After farming for around twenty minutes, a Fallen Shaman should spawn once every five seconds. A Silencing Paladin like you can train there up until they hit Level 5. Brat, you're still too inexperienced. If this great master were to casually hand out even a little bit of game advice, you'd be able to receive endless benefits!" Nie Yan shamelessly boasted while patting the Paladin's shoulder. "How about it? Give me another discount?"

"Four coppers, I won't go any lower." The Paladin was still skeptical about Nie Yan's words. However, he was indeed able to obtain around six skill books a day by farming the Fallen Shamans outside of the Fallen Shaman Camp, just as Nie Yan had said. Though this Fallen Shaman Camp… he had gone there once before and nearly lost his life. The location in the coordinates Nie Yan provided should definitely lead him right outside of that same camp.

Nie Yan's words completely matched this information, so it probably shouldn't be false. The Paladin muttered to himself and began pondering…. _Should I head over to those coordinates and take a look myself?_

"Three coppers, if you're not willing then I'll be taking my leave. However, if you're willing to give me this book as a gift, I'll give you some more valuable information regarding the Fallen Shaman Camp." Nie Yan gave an incentive. After seeing the Paladin still appearing hesitant, he turned his body and prepared to depart.

Nie Yan was embarrassingly short on funds. He didn't have a lot of money to spend on the Stealth skill book. However, it was still essential for every Thief during the early stages of the game. _This truly won't do. I'll have to put it off for later. At least until I can manage to get a bit of money grinding off Level 1 mobs in the beginning area…._

"W-wait, hold up!" Seeing Nie Yan about to leave, the Paladin hurriedly called out to him. He hastily picked up a Stealth skill book from the little shop he had set up and said, "Isn't it merely a single Stealth skill book…? I can easily farm out six of them in a day! Here! I'll give this to you as a present. Now tell me, what's information you have on this Fallen Shaman Camp?" It just so happened that he and his companions would be setting off to train in that area shortly. Thus, he really wanted to be as informed as possible about the area. In the Paladin's eyes, Nie Yan certainly did appear to be a very knowledgeable person.

Nie Yan glanced back at him. _This Paladin does seem to be an honest person. I was able to secure a Stealth skill book, and_ _I didn't even need to spend a single penny. Recalling_ this, Nie Yan was in a great mood.

"Seeing as you're being sincere. Don't head over to the coordinates I just gave you. If you really did head over there looking to train, then not even within five minutes passing, three Fallen Shaman Leaders would appear. A single cast of their Fireball would cause an explosion that would kill you instantly," Nie Yan casually informed.

Upon hearing these words, the Paladin instantly broke out in a cold sweat as he felt a great chill run through his heart. When Nie Yan informed him that those coordinates were a good place to farm, he truly intended to head over there and try his luck. He never expected that not only were these coordinates false, they were also dangerous as well. If he hadn't hurriedly called Nie Yan back… one could only imagine the consequences. It would have truly been an injustice if he had been killed in such a way.

Nie Yan was simply too cunning—not even raising a single finger, and he entrapped someone.

Originally, the Paladin still felt a bit regretful giving away the Stealth skill book. However, at present, he became incredibly overjoyed. There was basically no comparison between his life and a single Stealth skill book. Dying in the game would result in losing a level along with losing a random piece of equipment. _It turns out being a kind and sincere really does have its own benefits._

Noticing the Paladin gazing at him with such an aggrieved expression, Nie Yan flashed a slight smile and said, "The real coordinates are **22325.21383.23359**. You can farm out ten Stealth skill books from there. The spawn rate is pretty good too, so it's definitely a good place to train. I'm not lying to you this time around. This is my way of expressing gratitude for gifting me this beginner skill book. Then, I guess this could be considered your payment? As for the Fallen Shaman Camp… naturally, it's a twenty-person instance. There's a requisite of seventy-two defense for Warriors. Regarding Paladins and Priests, the requisites are also similarly high. Paladins must have a willpower of eight and Priests are required to learn the Heal skill. The strength of their Heal must also reach thirty points. Not only this… but when entering the camp, you must bring an ample supply of health and mana potions."

"The requirements are too high. Would I still be able to enter if my willpower is only seven points? The Heal skill books are also too expensive as well. The influx of new players has caused the skill book to skyrocket to an extremely expensive price. It's to the point where it has no set market value. Our party consists of only one Priest, and the reason we want to enter the Fallen Shaman Camp is because we need to obtain the Heal skill book for him. So tell me… if we don't meet these requirements, can we still enter the Fallen Shaman Camp?" the Paladin asked.

"Entering is definitely possible. However, you'll need to use a special method to enter."

"What kind of special method?" the Paladin asked curiously.

Nie Yan smiled wordlessly. In the future, he would most likely enter the Fallen Shaman Camp as well. If others wanted him to inform them about this special method, then they must be willing to pay a sufficient price.

"All party quests are divided into five difficulties: Easy, Normal, Hard, Expert, and Specialist. If you guys are unsure of yourselves, then you should select the Easy difficulty. Speaking of which, it really shouldn't be too difficult. If you guys don't meet the requirements, then you simply need to just keep upgrading, that's all." Nie Yan looked at him meaningfully. _He can't possibly think that a single Stealth skill book would allow him to candidly obtain the special method for entering the Fallen Shaman Camp, could he?_

Although Nie Yan was only Level 0, he still gave off the appearance of a professional. The Paladin began weighing his thoughts and in the end, he still trusted Nie Yan's words.

"Thank you," the Paladin sincerely expressed his gratitude.

Nie Yan couldn't help smiling. The person before him was forced to give him a skill book free of charge, and he still thanked him in the end—this was truly adorable. In his previous life, Nie Yan was also such a sincere type of person. Only after experiencing many difficulties and setbacks, he slowly became cunning and sly. Although he felt this Paladin was very stupid, Nie Yan had a good impression of him. While tossing the skill book in his hands, he muttered, "We each take what we need."

Just as Nie Yan turned around and started to leave, the Paladin called out to him, "Expert, what's your name? Why don't we add each other as friends? That way, if I ever meet up with a problem I can't solve, I'll still be able to ask you for advice."

"Sure, but it'll cost you. I'm not one who offers a free service," Nie Yan replied. He definitely didn't want to give out information for free.

"That's not a problem," the Paladin replied straightforwardly.

"Alright then, my name is Nirvana Flame." If this person was able to give a sufficient price, Nie Yan felt there would be no harm in sharing some information. He'll just consider it earning a bit of extra income.

"My name is Flying Stone, though all my friends just call me Stone," the Paladin named Stone replied. He had already considered Nie Yan to be one of his friends.

"That's fine. I have a few matters to attend to. So, I'll be leaving first. See you later!" Nie Yan said his goodbyes to Stone and walked over to the transfer point. He wanted to learn the Stealth skill quickly. A Thief's defense and health were too low when compared to other close combat professions. In the initial stages of the game, he would only be able to train on the weak mobs that were the same level as him. Not only that, but he could only fight them one on one too. If he were to face a more powerful mob or perhaps… two or more monsters, then his only option would be to flee for his life. Thieves were unlike Warriors, who possessed the ability to fight two monsters of the same level. if the Warrior had decent equipment, then they'd be able to face off against three or more monsters. Therefore, unless a Thief was training in a party, their leveling from beginning to end was much slower when compared to Warriors, Mages, and other similar professions.

Currently, the highest level player among them was Level 5, while the highest level Thief was only Level 4.

At the start, thieves must continuously make money in order to buy skill books. Only after getting plenty of skills would their strengths finally begin to emerge—which would additionally cause their training speed to gradually increase.

At present, Nie Yan had gained the first ability in his skill bar, Stealth.

Stealth was the bread and butter skill for all thieves—their most basic and most powerful skill.

Nie Yan transferred over to Tellak (te-la-ke) town. This was one of the most ordinary towns within the Calore Prairies—it was an NPC settlement. The houses were made of clay and mud, which exuded prairie-like characteristics. There were many Level 2 players in the area. Hence, the place was bustling with movements.

The monsters surrounding these small settlements ranged from Level 1–10.

There were Level 2–3 players everywhere in small towns. They were either trading goods or looking to form parties to hunt monsters. The streets were filled with noise and excitement. When walking down the streets, one could easily feel a bit claustrophobic.

If he recalled correctly, there was a silver treasure chest near the Wildcat region of Tellak town. In his previous life, he had discovered it while farming monsters in that region. He had obtained a high-quality Thief skill book from the chest. However, it was an area that contained Level 5 monsters. Fortunately, no one should have reached that location yet.

When teams formed parties to level, players would usually split into groups of three or four. Otherwise, the experience definitely wouldn't be worth it. If ten or more were to form a party to hunt, then the experience gained would be too minuscule after being split. In general, three to five people in a party were able to train in an area where Level 5 monsters spawned, however, this was also rarely seen.

Treasure chests were graded from White Treasure Chests, Silver Treasure Chests, Gold Treasure Chests, Dark Gold Treasure Chests, Legendary Treasure Chests, etc… The higher ranked the treasure chest, the better the items that would come out of it. The items inside the chests were set, so once they were removed, the chest would disappear.

Although he was only Level 0, after obtaining the Stealth skill, Nie Yan had come up with a few ideas on how to obtain that silver treasure chest.


	5. Chapter 5 – Vital Strike

**Chapter 5 – Vital Strike**

* * *

Towns contained only the most rudimentary of buildings: general stores, low-level equipment shops, personal storages, etc… Even NPCs were sparse in number, and these NPCs were quest givers. For the most part, these simple quests consisted of gathering and collecting various items, hunting and killing an animal to collect its fur, collecting herbs, ores, and so on. After completing these quests, one would be rewarded with either money or experience.

After arriving at the general store, Nie Yan went forward and bought three Basic Health Potions. One potion would restore upwards of thirty health, and each potion was priced at a single copper. General stores only offered Basic Health Potions. Middle- or higher-tiered potions could only be purchased from an Alchemist.

Following the purchase of his three potions, only a single copper remained in Nie Yan's pockets.

Nie Yan walked outside and went out of the town's boundaries. After leaving the town, he hurriedly rushed over to the treasure chest's spawn point. If he met a monster, he would make a detour around it and maintain his distance.

The place he was heading towards was a Level 5 monster area. At present, with his current level, the danger was very high. However, with his experience currently at Level 0: 0.00%, even if he died, he wouldn't lose any experience.

Nie Yan passed through two Level 1 monster zones, a Level 3 monster zone, and a Level 4 monster zone. After four minutes, Nie Yan had finally arrived at the monster zone where Level 5 Wildcats spawned.

After surveying the surrounding area, he saw dense pastures and lush grass that could reach up to one's waist. Gazing at a distant area in the dense pastures, he saw a tall willow rising above the vegetation. It appeared to be especially lofty and majestic as it occupied its own space within the pasture.

The silver treasure chest wasn't far from this location. Nie Yan's heart began to tense up with nervousness as he grew closer.

At his current level, the Level 5 Wildcats in this area weren't monsters that Nie Yan was capable of dealing with.

Occasionally one or two Wildcats would pass through the area, and Nie Yan would hurriedly conceal himself.

Thieves possessed a passive profession skill which raised their ability to conceal themselves. Once they went into hiding, it wouldn't be easy for other lifeforms to detect them.

At the same time, he was still able to use his Stealth skill.

Nie Yan began calculating the level difference formula for Stealth in his head. After activating Stealth, the safe distance between him and a Wildcat should be about two meters. In other words, if he went within two meters of a Wildcat while he was in stealth, he would be discovered. Between two and three meters was the buffer zone where he could possibly be discovered. Beyond three meters he was at an absolutely safe distance.

Having spent over a decade playing the Thief profession in his previous life, Nie Yan's usage of these Thief skills had long been tempered to perfection. In addition, using his vision to estimate distance also wasn't too hard of a feat.

Suddenly, the underbrush in the distance began to tremble and stir with movement. Nie Yan's complexion rapidly changed as he quickly went into hiding by activating Stealth.

A Wildcat that was as large as a German Shepherd pounced out of the thickets. Its sharp eyes surveyed the surroundings, but it didn't discover anything strange. As it passed through the open space that lay ahead, it entered into another patch of grass and disappeared.

Only when he was assured the Wildcat had gone far away did Nie Yan dare to continue moving forward.

There was a stretch of open space in a ten-meter radius around the willow. A silver white chest quietly lay at the base of the willow tree. The nearby area had six to seven Wildcats roaming around freely.

To clear out these Level 5 Wildcats would require a team of at least twenty Level 3 players.

It would not be easy getting ahold of this chest.

Nie Yan observed the movements of these Wildcats within the thickets of grass, as he attempted to find a safe route to the willow tree.

Their movements appeared to have a fixed pattern.

After observing for a while, Nie Yan removed all the equipment from his body and stored them in his inventory. He then re-equipped his defenseless beginner equipment. If his beginner equipment were to be sold to an NPC store, they wouldn't be worth even a single copper. Simply put, they were trash. Even if one were to throw them on the ground, no one would bother picking them up.

Dying in Conviction would result in the loss of a level. Additionally, a random piece of equipment would also be dropped upon death. If the new equipment he had just recently bought dropped unexpectedly, then that would truly be wasteful. However, if the beginner equipment dropped, he wouldn't care. He was only equipping it to temporarily to cover his body anyway.

While using his Stealth skill, Nie Yan slowly crept towards the willow tree. He walked for approximately ten seconds, before suddenly stopping and holding his breath. A Wildcat was making its way around Nie Yan's left flank—within approximately two meters.

After waiting for six seconds, Nie Yan pressed onwards once again—carefully exercising control over his distance between each Wildcat.

Gradually, the distance between him and the chest shortened.

Nie Yan's heart rate sped up once again. He understood that as a Level 0, if he succeeded in grabbing this skill book, then it would be immensely helpful in the future.

Two wildcats began moving towards Nie Yan's location.

Nie Yan quickly halted, but the wildcats continued their advance. Fortunately, the distance between them was still about two meters apart. Nie Yan was frightened badly as he felt a cold sweat run down his back.

Stealth had a total duration of two minutes, and time was ticking away. Knowing that Stealth's effects would end within thirty-two seconds, Nie Yan's state of mind began to fluctuate.

 _There's not enough time…!_ Nie Yan slightly accelerated his pace.

Not far from where Nie Yan was located, a Wildcat moved slightly. It became aware of Nie Yan's location almost immediately. After locking its eyes onto Nie Yan, the Wildcat exposed its sharp teeth and let out a hoarse growl.

 _Not good, I was discovered!_

The Wildcat moved, pouncing towards Nie Yan.

The Wildcat's sudden attack was quick, and Nie Yan's movement speed meant that he was basically incapable of keeping up. However, Nie Yan still managed to sidestep out of the way of the Wildcat's attack by relying on his reaction speed—something he had developed during his past life.

The basic movements for a character were sidestepping, rolling, jumping, etc… Players were able to utilize these movements to dodge attacks—as long as it was within the capabilities of the system.

The sharp claws of the Wildcat swiped through empty air, missing Nie Yan's throat by just an inch.

Just as Nie Yan had dodged, two more Wildcats appeared and pounced at him from the sides. One of them clawed at him from the back, while the other bit into his arm.

 _****, I'm finished!_

Under these circumstances, using health potions would be useless.

 **−68** **  
** **−32**

Two damage values floated over Nie Yan's head. He collapsed to the ground as his health fell to zero.

The scenery changed, and Nie Yan found himself resurrected at the cemetery in Tellak town.

His failure was a result of using Stealth too early. When Stealth's duration was nearly up, he had become impatient and mistakes were made. This was the root cause that led him to failure.

Nie Yan summed up all the causes of his failure and continued forward. As he glanced at the equipment on his body, he noticed that his armguards had been dropped. However, it was only a piece of beginner equipment. Even if it dropped, it wouldn't be too alarming. As for losing experience… it didn't matter because he was still at Level 0: 0.00%.

He had already created a plan in case he ended up dying, which was why he dared to venture into an area with Level 5 monsters.

Nie Yan set off once more. After he had left the boundaries of Tellak town, he went back over to where the Wildcats spawned.

Once again, Nie Yan arrived at that open space. He soon discovered slight changes in the movement paths of the Wildcats. He had led the Wildcats near the chest before he died, and they continued to remain close by where he fell. Obtaining the silver treasure chest had just become a much more difficult task.

The Wildcats were constantly roaming about in the area. Nie Yan began studying their movement again. He could possibly brave death by drawing these Wildcats away. Then, he could resurrect, use Stealth to easily slip the past, and get to the chest afterward.

He ended Stealth prematurely. Gradually, his figure emerged about three meters away from the Wildcats.

Five Wildcats in the surrounding area simultaneously discovered him and began their pursuit.

Nie Yan made a mad dash away from the area, but his movement speed was slow compared to the Wildcats. Soon, they quickly caught up with him. One Wildcat pounced forward, causing Nie Yan to fall to the ground. The other Wildcats soon encircled him and went in for the kill.

After a flash of white light, Nie Yan once again resurrected at the cemetery in Tellak town. This time, his leg guard had dropped.

He once more set out of the town, rushing back to plunder the treasure after resurrecting. With the passage of ten minutes, Nie Yan had once again reached the open clearing.

The Wildcats were now some distance farther from the treasure chest. As he calculated their movements in his head, Nie Yan's eyes lit up. _There shouldn't be any problems this time around._

Nie Yan activated Stealth and approached the silver treasure chest. He advanced for more than twenty seconds, before stopping in place after noticing two Wildcats coming up from behind. They came close to Nie Yan's location, before gradually walking away.

All the Wildcats in the area were rather far away from Nie Yan—at about a distance of approximately five meters. When he confirmed that he was finally safe, Nie Yan accelerated his pace and quickly arrived at the silver chest. Stealth still had a remaining duration of thirty-six seconds—six seconds more than he had initially anticipated.

Nie Yan crouched down to open the chest while still in stealth—opening the chest would not cancel the skill.

 **「 _System: Opening chest… Estimated Completion: 20%… 50%…_ 」**

A Wildcat in the vicinity walked towards Nie Yan. It neared a little over two meters before eventually stopping.

Nie Yan's pulse unconsciously sped up. _Calm… must remain calm…_ He had to constantly console himself in his head before his pulse finally calmed down.

The Wildcat glanced around for a short while, but eventually turned around and left after not detecting anything.

Nie Yan's body eased up and he let out a sigh of relief.

 **「** _ **System: Chest successfully opened! Time taken: 27.0 s**_ **」**

Nie Yan opened the chest and began feeling around inside. When his hand came into contact with a book, his heart abruptly jumped. _This is it!_

Taking the book out, he looked it over.

 **Skill Book: Vital Strike  
** **Description: Thieves can cause additional damage by attacking an enemy's vitals.  
** **Requirements: Action (requires weapon)  
** **Properties: Hitting a target's vitals causes 5% additional damage, marking the  
target with a damage debuff.  
** **Cooldown: 30 s  
** **Restriction: Thief, Warrior, Paladin, can be learned by any faction.**

Indeed this was the Vital Strike skill book. This was the best skill he was capable of learning at Level 0! This was what he had worked so hard to obtain. After Nie Yan grabbed the book, it became a ray of white light.

Glancing at his skill bar, he noticed that another skill had appeared: Vital Strike!

Following Nie Yan's removal of the Vital Strike skill book, the silver chest began to gradually fade away before disappearing without a trace.

 _It's all settled! Heh… I can return to town for free too._

As Stealth's duration ended, Nie Yan's figure slowly emerged. The few Wildcats in the area immediately discovered him and attacked.

Nie Yan didn't have any experience to lose, so he was planning on dying and resurrecting in the town to avoid having to run back. Nie Yan peacefully awaited his fate.

Once again, Nie Yan died and returned to the town cemetery. This time, his novice gloves dropped. However, compared to the Vital Strike skill book, the loss was negligible. By obtaining Vital Strike, his training speed would increase greatly.


	6. Chapter 6 - Making Preparations

**Chapter 6 – Making Preparations**

* * *

Nie Yan wanted to proceed forward with the second step of his training plan. However, he required twenty coppers in order to do so!

 _Earning money while simultaneously training at a high speed, this is the only way to be efficient._ Nie Yan thought for a moment, then began running deeper into Tellak town.

 **Coordinates: (309.289.221) Tellak Town, NPC: Hunter Klaus  
** **Quest: Collect 50 Giant Silverdust Rat Skulls  
** **  
** **Coordinates: (290.231.256) NPC: Farmer Ende  
** **Quest: Kill 50 Giant Silverdust Rats.** **  
** **  
** **Coordinates: (350.220.389) Tellak Town Outskirts, Hidden NPC: Alchemist Oer** **  
** **Quest: Collect 21 Giant Silverdust Rat tails**

Nie Yan found two common NPCs and three hidden NPCs that handed out quests related to killing Giant Silverdust Rats. The coordinates for the hidden NPCs were provided in a strategy guide from his previous life. Countless players had come to experience great difficulty in finding these hidden NPCs because they were unaware of these coordinates.

After he had received five quests, Nie Yan ran out of Tellak town and began heading towards the area where Giant Silverdust Rats spawned. Giant Silverdust Rats were a species of immensely large rodents that possessed a silver ashen gray coat. Their builds slightly exceeded that of a water buffalo's, and they appeared similar to small moving hills when they roamed about. However, their movements were quite sluggish, and their attack wasn't all that high.

 **Giant Silverdust Rats: Level 1** **  
** **Health: 100/100**

The game's servers had already been up and running for a little over a week, and the vast majority of players have already reached Level 2 or 3. Hence, many of them had already moved on to hunt in higher-leveled regions. As such, only a sparse few players were still training in this Level 1 area.

Nie Yan moved quickly after discovering a Giant Silverdust Rat. He attacked, leaving several stab marks on its back.

 **−21  
** **−20  
** **−21**

Three damage values appeared, floating above the Giant Silverdust Rat's head.

The Giant Silverdust Rat retaliated by turning its head to attack Nie Yan. Before it could, though, Nie Yan activated Vital Strike and stabbed the Giant Silverdust Rat in the eye.

 **「 _System: Vital Strike successful! Attack +5%,_ _resulting in additional damage dealt!_ 」**

 **−38**

Another damage value floated over the Giant Silverdust Rat's head. The giant dust rat let out a miserable squeak and immediately fell to the ground.

 _Not bad, Vital Strike is pretty decent._ Nie Yan collected the Giant Rat Skull that had been dropped as loot.

Vital Strike's cooldown was thirty seconds, giving Nie Yan just enough time to seek out another Giant Silverdust Rat.

After finding an area where Giant Silverdust Rats spawned rather quickly, Nie Yan began to idly grind monsters. Numerous Giant Silverdust Rats were constantly defeated and fell to the ground.

Nie Yan's experience bar gradually rose. 1%, 2%, 10%… after about two hours, Nie Yan had slain a little over two hundred Giant Silverdust Rats. He continued until his experience bar finally reached 15%.

Giant Rat Tails, Giant Rat Skulls, etc… All these items were gathered in a large heap. Furthermore, he had also obtained three coppers total as loot drops.

The drop rate for money was extremely low. Only under certain circumstances would the drop rate be higher. This was in order to make Conviction's in-game currency much more valuable.

As Nie Yan's Vital Strike slew yet another giant rat, something appeared flickering under its corpse. Nie Yan's heart skipped a beat. Quickly, he bent over to pick up the item.

 **Tough Leather Leg Protectors (White Equipment)** **  
** **Requirement: Level 0  
** **Properties: Defense 3–5  
** **Weight: 3lb  
** **User Restriction: Warrior, can be equipped by any faction.**

Equipment drops in Conviction were quite rare. Only in a few relatively higher instances would the drop rate be increased. However, the level of difficulty for such instances would also be much higher. Nie Yan remembered very clearly in the past there were many players Level 10 or higher who had no choice but to equip Level 5 equipment. Simply because they couldn't find Level 10 equipment, they had to form parties and hunt monsters with lower level gear.

 _Since this Tough Leather Leg Protector is meant for Warriors, it'll sell for at least seven coppers if I throw it into the auction house._

He stored the Tough Leather Leg Protector into his inventory; a beginner bag had only twenty slots. Nie Yan filled his bag with so many items, there now were only eleven slots remaining.

Inside the beginner bag was a dimensional space. Items stored inside this space wouldn't raise a player's weight value.

A player's weight value was only affected by the player's equipment.

 _With the three coppers that had previously dropped, and by selling off the Tough Leather Leg Protector… my funds should be brought up to ten coppers._ _Turning in these quests should also give me a few rewards… I ought to have a little over twenty coppers by then._

Nie Yan glanced over at his bag space. The five quests he had accepted were all completed. So he started heading back to Tellak Town, as he no longer needed to hunt the Giant Silverdust Rats.

Nie Yan was doing his utmost to catch up. First, he would bridge the level gap between him and the other players. Then he would use his past life's experience to progressively expand his superiority in the game.

After returning to Tellak town, Nie Yan handed over all five quests, completing his missions. He obtained six hundred experience, which raised his experience bar to 55%. Furthermore, he had also received thirty-four coppers—an amount which exceeded his expectations. The money and experience awarded by those three hidden NPCs were several times higher than what ordinary NPCs would've rewarded. Besides the money and experience, he also received three Basic Health Potions.

Nie Yan put the Tough Leather Leg Protector in the auction house and walked towards the weapon shop.

Upon arriving outside of the place, he saw a small narrow shop front. However, after entering, the interior space was actually quite large—roughly five by ten meters.

Weapons for every class could be seen lined up on both the left and right sides of the wall. Common equipment for all classes could also be seen hanging from the rear wall of the shop: bows, crossbows, small daggers, etc…

The store filled to the brim with equipment was a dazzling display for the eyes.

The weapon shop's owner was a fierce looking blacksmith, appearing to be in his forties.

"The weapons I forge are the best within the whole region of the Western Prairies! Respected adventurers, may I ask what you require?" Seeing business arrive, the blacksmith came up to greet him in a lively straightforward tone.

"Bow, or crossbow."

"Let's see… what kind of bow or crossbow are you looking for? The equipment I have here can meet all the requirements of adventures who are Level 5 or lower."

"Level 0, one that I can use. Attack +3 or more, and Firing Rate of 12 or more." Nie Yan thought for a moment, and added, "The price should be within thirty coppers."

Nie Yan originally thought collecting twenty coppers would be sufficient to purchase an ordinary bow or crossbow. He didn't expect that he would exceed his target goal, and earn thirty-seven coppers. After the Tough Leather Leg Protector sold, his funds would surpass forty coppers. He had a complete abundance of money to splurge on a better bow or crossbow.

"I have three pieces of equipment that meet your criteria. The first is a short bow. Attack +3, Firing Rate is 13, Attack Deviation of 11%, and a Range of 20 meters. The price is seven copper coins." The Blacksmith took out a short bow, and presented it to Nie Yan.

"Do you have anything better? Perhaps something with a higher accuracy?"

He had a task he wanted to complete. And though the short bow would suffice, having something better would save him time.

"Well, I also have this long bow. It has Attack +5, Firing Rate of 12, Deviation of 9%, and Range of 30 meters. The price is fifteen coppers." The Blacksmith took out a long bow and presented it. Afterward, he took out an exquisite one-handed crossbow. He loaded it with five bolts, then propped it up with his arm and aimed it around the shop. "If that doesn't please you, then this is my finest piece of work, the one I'm most proud of. A compact crossbow with a triple-shot effect, Attack +5, Firing Rate of 8. Furthermore, as a result of its supplementary firing ability, the Firing Rate of a single shot is tested at 15. It has a deviation of 5%, and a range 30 meters. The price is twenty-eight coppers."

"I'll take it. Give me nine low-grade crossbow bolt quivers as well," Nie Yan said. Each quiver contained a thousand low-grade crossbow bolts; it was definitely enough.

Nie Yan spent thirty-seven coppers to complete the transaction, leaving him without a single copper remaining. He stored the crossbow and nine quivers he had recently purchased into his bag space.

"Feel free to come again respected adventurer. I wish you a safe journey."

In his past life, when Nie Yan had first entered the game, he believed the NPCs only possessed simple AI. He amazed at what he discovered. Afterward, he was able to keep his calm much more easily.

As Nie Yan left the weapon shop, a system notification appeared.

 **「 _System: Your Tough Leather Leg Protector has been sold for eight coppers._ 」**

 _Ah, it finally sold… not bad. I now have eight coppers as my total funds. At least I won't be considered too poor right now._

Nie Yan left the boundaries of Tellak town and hurried over towards the Level 8 Bison spawn area. The Bison monsters were even more dangerous than the Wildcats. They had extremely powerful attacks, and their movement speeds were also much faster than the Wildcats. In fact, they were more than three times faster than Nie Yan with his current stats. When facing against these Bisons, there was essentially only death and no chance of survival.

Currently, there was not a single player whatsoever who dared to face off against a Level 8 monster. Even if they were currently the highest level player in the game, they still wouldn't dare.


	7. Chapter 7 – Bypassing the Level Gap and

**Chapter 7 – Bypassing the Level Gap and Killing the Bison**

* * *

Passing through a vast expanse of prairie land, Nie Yan, at last, arrived at a region of barrens and stone. As far as the eye could see, lofty and oddly shaped boulders were irregularly strewn throughout the area. Within this mess of boulders were narrow cracks and passageways.

 _It should be right here._ Nie Yan surveyed the expanse for a moment. After confirming without a doubt that these were the correct coordinates, he became especially vigilant and began slowly sneaking around. This region was where Bisons actively roamed about. The whole area permeated with a sense of dread and danger. Cautiously, he squeezed himself into one of the narrow passageways within the boulders.

 **Coordinates (567.528.192)**

The topography of this region was strange and eccentric. The narrow passageways within these boulders only allowed enough space for a single person to pass through. As he looked out after going through the narrow passageway, a dark-coloured Bison in an area at a distance of about twenty-six meters away entered his vision. Large and robust, its entire body was densely packed with muscle. Above its head, two sharp horns resembling the tips of daggers protruded out.

 **Bison Chief (Leader): Level 8** **  
** **Health: 300/300**

Nie Yan took out his crossbow and held it with his left hand. He began calibrating it, making sure the angle was just right.

By lucky coincidence, the Bison Chief was within his attack range. Due to its body size being so massive, even if it were to discover his presence, it was still unable to traverse the narrow passageways within the mess of boulders. As a result, it was completely incapable of attacking him.

This was a typical terrain exploit!

This was an exploit his Arcane Mage friend had discovered within the game. However, at present, the only one who was aware of this terrain exploit was him!

By employing this exploit, Nie Yan could bypass the level disparity and effortlessly kill this Bison Chief!

Nie Yan began loading the crossbow with bolts. After three seconds, three crossbow bolts were completely loaded and the crossbow was cocked and ready to fire.「Wsh! Wsh! Wsh!」Three bolts were fired in rapid succession, flying in a straight line right towards the Bison Chief.

「Put! Put! Put!」The three crossbow bolts hit the Bison Chief nearly simultaneously.

 **Miss** **  
** **−1  
** **Miss**

Three damage values floated above the Bison Chief's head. Due to the level disparity between both sides being too large, Nie Yan's attacks against the Bison Chief were weak. Most of the time it would be a miss and even if it did hit the target, it would only cause a little bit of damage.

After it had been attacked, the Bison Chief huffed out a large amount of musty air and began its mad charge towards Nie Yan's location.

「Boom!」A large crashing sound burst out. The Bison Chief had charged into the boulders and was repelled back. Its attack was unable to reach Nie Yan. It could only turn around and circle the boulders, without having any other course of action.

Nie Yan skillfully finished reloading the crossbow and like before, shot out three bolts in rapid succession towards the Bison Chief.

Although the damage was extremely low, under Nie Yan's continuous and unrelenting attacks the Bison Chief's health bar began showing signs of declining ever so slightly. However, it was awfully slow, merely falling by the smallest amount. Every now and then, it even recovered by a slight fraction.

Nie Yan's rate of fire was quite stable. After suffering his attacks, the Bison Chief bellowed out furiously, precisely because it was incapable of even nearing Nie Yan.

Everything went as smoothly as expected. Nie Yan was attacking the Bison Chief while figuring out the next step in his leveling strategy. After being reborn, if he were like others trying to find a place to level, it would truly be an asinine waste of his time.

One must know, Nie Yan's mind possessed a vast amount of game knowledge. He followed his own reasoning and designed a perfect leveling plan.

The seconds and minutes continued to pass by. After half an hour, Nie Yan had completely used up all of the crossbow bolts within one quiver—a _thousand_ crossbow bolts! At present, the Bison Chief still had approximately two-thirds of its health remaining.

The uninterrupted process of reloading and shooting made Nie Yan feel himself about to fall asleep. However, he still spent great effort in maintaining his high frequency of firing, so as to avoid having the Bison Chief's health recover again after he ceased his attacks.

The Bison Chief began getting somewhat weary. It continually strained for breath as it anxiously rammed against the rocks and collapsed a portion of the boulders.

Nie Yan quickly retreated inward a bit and at that moment, his menu sounded out with a voice call notification.

"Expert, I went to the coordinates you gave us for farming monsters. It is indeed very fast! I've already picked up two Stealth skill books from today alone!" Flying Stone said. At the location where Nie Yan told him to train, leveling was fifty percent more efficient compared to the common training areas. This had made Flying Stone really excited. Gifting Nie Yan a single Stealth Skill book had given him such a treasure trove of a training area—it was definitely a worthwhile trade!

"That's natural of course. Fallen Shamans also drop the Owl Sight skill book. If you find any extra, don't forget to send me one." Nie Yan wasn't the least bit surprised. He had gone through numerous expert strategy guides in his previous life. Small tidbits like these—the amount he remembered was definitely not few in number. In his life, Nie Yan was the type of person who was thick-skinned and furthermore very forgetful. There was an awful amount of things he would go through life forgetting or completely neglecting. However, the only things he remembered the most distinctly were definitely these game strategy guides.

Every person had an exceptional memory when dealing with the things they were particularly interested in.

"If the skill book drops, I'll send it to you through the mail. There's something I've been wondering about, how did you find out about this training spot?" Stone asked through the chat. When he had met Nie Yan, the latter had been nothing more than a Level 0.

"I used to play on a Warrior account, however, I deleted it to create a Thief." Nie Yan casually gave out an excuse without thinking. Naturally, he didn't want anyone to know the secret was that he had been reincarnated.

"So it was like that… Your Warrior account must have been really high leveled, huh. Why'd you end up deleting it? In a few days, one of my friends wants to form a group to enter the Fallen Shaman Camp. Expert, what are your thoughts on this?" Stone asked expectantly in his message. Nie Yan certainly did appear to be a person who was very knowledgeable. Furthermore, his several friends were indeed only able to fight to the Fallen Shaman Camp's outer area and couldn't advance any farther.

The Fallen Shaman Camp is a high difficulty instance. Instances are divided into special instances and basic instances. When a special instance is cleared by players, it disappears and becomes an ordinary area. As for basic instances, if they were cleared by players, they can still be repeatedly entered afterward. However, the equipment drop rate is much lower and the profits earned weren't that high either.

The Fallen Shaman Camp is classified as a basic instance. It's divided into five difficulties: Easy, Normal, Hard, Expert, Specialist. The higher the difficulty, the better the equipment that would drop. If a party were to clear this instance, they would have to wait five days until they could enter and clear it again.

"A full walkthrough on how to clear the Fallen Shaman Camp will cost you two silvers, no bargaining," Nie Yan replied. Two silvers were the equivalent of two hundred coppers. Towards new players, this was definitely an extravagant sum of money. However, since Stone's friends were able to form a team to clear the Fallen Shaman Camp, two silvers shouldn't be regarded as much.

"I'll go back and discuss it with my friend." Stone was a little skeptical. _He couldn't possibly have a complete Fallen Shaman Camp walkthrough, right?_ _Such a thing doesn't even exist online._

On an average run, profits from clearing the easy difficulty of the Fallen Shaman Camp should be about three silvers. If their luck were good, they might be able to obtain one or two high-quality drops with decent stats. Though the drop everyone wanted the most from the Fallen Shaman Camp was still the Heal skill book. Nie Yan demanding a two-silver information fee could be regarded as beyond excessive. If no equipment dropped, then they would've paid Nie Yan for nothing.

The difficulty of the Fallen Shaman Camp was a little high. After their party gets wiped out a few times, they'll naturally realize the fee Nie Yan had commissioned wasn't the least bit expensive at all.

"Reply to me after your friend agrees. If he doesn't agree, don't bother me unless you have business." Nie Yan continued shooting at his target. Under his constant rain of fire, the Bison Chief gradually began showing indications of falling.

"Alright, I'll go and talk with our party leader." There was basically an equal sign connecting Nie Yan to the title of an expert. He wasn't slightest bit offended in regards to Nie Yan's cold attitude. Experts who have this kind of personality were also pretty common. Stone was wondering, _What level did Nirvana Flame's previous warrior account reach? It ought to have been really powerful, but why did he end up deleting it? Could it have possibly been related to a matter that was difficult to discuss?_

Flying Stone finished speaking.「Doot! Doot! Doot! …」A busy signal came from the voice chat.

Nie Yan hung up and accelerated the firing rate of the crossbow in his hand. One after another, bolts rapidly left the crossbow.

Firing for one and a half hours, he had consumed around thirty-six hundred crossbow bolts.「Mooo!」At long last, the Bison Chief let out a final agonizing cry before staggering to the ground. The massive body smashed heavily towards the earth, and Nie Yan could even feel the vibrations under his feet.

Nie Yan estimated a bit: if he had used the short bow, killing the Bison Chief would have taken at least five hours in addition to consuming over ten thousand arrows. Fortunately, this single-handed crossbow with its additional skill saved him quite a bit of time.

Two white lights shone upon Nie Yan's body as two clear and melodious tunes sounded out—each one represented a single level up.

 **「 _System: You've successfully slain a Bison Chief. +1800% experience for killing a monster above your level. You have received 8290 experience points._ 」**

Nie Yan glanced at his experience bar, he had reached Level 2 with 21% of his experience bar already filled. The experience gained from killing the Bison Chief was definitely enormous.

After finally completing his task, Nie Yan put away the crossbow in his hand and walked over towards the Bison Chief's corpse. Searching under the Bison Chief's dead body, he found that it dropped five coppers. In addition, he also managed to pick up a dagger.

Nie Yan glanced at the dagger's stats.

 **Horn Dagger: Bronze** **  
** **Properties: Unidentified**

Nie Yan's eyelids jumped up in excitement. It was a Bronze-grade dagger! Equipment was divided in these grades: White, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Dark Gold, and Legendary. Occasionally there would also be green-coloured sets. Only equipment at Bronze Grade or above had additional properties.

The monsters within Conviction were classified into these classes: Leaders, Sub Elites, Elites, and Lords. These monsters were uncommon and very few in number as well as spawning infrequently. Equipment with additional properties only had a one in one thousand chance of dropping. The majority of players could only make do by wearing white-grade equipment. Due to this, equipment with additional properties were all fairly precious, and their prices would skyrocket to the extent that they were unbearable for ordinary players.

Bronze grade weapons normally had an additional 20% attack above that of ordinary weapons. Furthermore, they also came with additional properties.

The equipment that a Level 8 Bison Chief drops should be Level 5. At present, the price of a Level 5 bronze grade dagger is at least three silvers or higher. Furthermore, an average Level 3 player's total assets, for the most part, was only about twenty coppers. If one had assets valued at the level of silvers, they were definitely a very well-off person.

According to his plans, he gathered the Bison Chief's drops and stored away the bronze grade dagger into his bag space. Nie Yan retreated from the narrow passageways within the boulders and headed back towards Tellak town.

Tellak town's only appraiser was a short-statured white-bearded old man with narrow triangular eyes. He was very shrewd, making everyone who saw him feel very unnerved. However, he was the only appraiser in all of Tellak town.

Nie Yan opened the trading window.

"Youngster, do you need me to appraise any items?" the short old man asked.

"A dagger." Nie Yan put up the Horn Dagger into the appraisal window.

"The appraisal fee is ten coppers. Do you still wish for an appraisal?"

Nie Yan's heart skipped a beat. This Horn Dagger's appraisal fee was ten coppers. Typically, the appraisal fee for an item was five percent of the item's price, and this was only the _NPC's_ price for the item. The market price was frequently more than six times higher than that. In other words, this Horn dagger had a value of at least twelve silvers!

He thought for a moment. _In the next few days, I won't be needing to go anywhere that requires a lot of money. Spending ten coppers also won't be that troublesome._ He pressed confirm.

The Horn Dagger blossomed with a cyan radiance; its brilliance was definitely not understated. This radiance was a distinctive characteristic of bronze grade equipment.

The Horn Dagger's handle was cambered with the texture of wood, with an awfully sharp blade in the front. It was much thicker compared to ordinary daggers and possessed the unique characteristic of being shaped like a bull's horn.

 **Horn Dagger (Bronze)** **  
** **Requirement: Level 5** **  
** **Properties: Attack 16–19, Strength +5  
** **Attack Speed: 2.3** **  
** **Weight: 1 lb  
** **User Restriction: Thief, can be equipped by any faction.**

This Horn Dagger gave a bonus to his Strength stat. These five points in Strength were equivalent to five points of attack. Then add onto the fact that the dagger's base attack was already higher than an ordinary Level 5 dagger's by three or four points, it meant this Horn Dagger was better than an ordinary dagger by nearly ten points. The influence of these ten points of attack, speaking from a new player's perspective, was indeed very large.

 _Looks like I've picked up a reliable Level 5 dagger,_ Nie Yan thought.


	8. Chapter 8 – The Price of Underestimation

**Chapter 8 – The Price of Underestimation**

* * *

After finishing the appraisal of the dagger, Nie Yan had begun to walk outside. Lowering his head, he took a glance at his skill bar. There were only two skills there: Stealth, and Vital Strike.

A perfect Thief should have numerous skills piled up at their disposal. A Thief could make do without equipment; however, they absolutely could not do without skills.

Of the several areas where Thief skill books could be farmed in the beginning stages of the game, Nie Yan knew all of them like the back of his hand. However, he would be unlikely to take the great effort and pain of farming them out. If a skill book could be farmed out, then it could also easily be bought in the marketplace.

 _Hmm… were there any other places where I could find rare beginner skill books?_

Nie Yan smacked his forehead. _How did I manage to forget that?_

With regards to classes such as a Thieves, if they wanted to possess sustainable fighting strength they would often select either Alchemy Crafting or the Bandage skill. Alchemy Crafting allowed a player to manufacture every kind of health potion, drug, etc… In the middle of a battle, a health potion—that could instantly restore lost health—was tantamount to a second life for a player. Afterwards when a battle was over, drinking a recovery potion allowed a player to quickly restore their health and throw themselves back into combat again. Thus, accelerating their training speed as well. As for the Bandaging skill, in comparison to a health potion, it was a bit lacking—the common Bandage skill could not be used during a skirmish.

Nie Yan knew of a location where a rare skill, Combat Medic, could be learned. Unlike Bandage, it could be used while in combat.

At higher levels, if a person wished to purchase middle- or higher-tiered health or recovery potions from the marketplace, their expenditure would be quite large. After all, their prices were quite costly—for most players, health and recovery potions were items they could only acquire by digging through the gaps between their teeth. Unless one were rich, the average player wouldn't be seen commonly using health, or recovery, potions.

However, Nie Yan was different—his head was filled with many ways to earn money quickly and easily. He didn't need to worry about money. Later on, health and recovery potions were all things he could easily buy from the marketplace. Thus, it wasn't necessary for him to waste his time learning Alchemy Crafting. However, if he learned this Combat Medic skill, it would greatly enhance his survivability. Thinking to this, Nie Yan suddenly had an idea.

 _I'll put that off for later. I should learn the Combat Medic skill first._

Nie Yan spent two coppers and bought two Basic Underwater Breathing Pills from the NPC general store. Right after, he rushed towards Lake Rando which wasn't too far of a distance from Tellak town.

After passing through several Level 2–3 areas, he had met many players that had formed parties to hunt monsters. They often occupied a single region in their own area. Warriors, Paladins, etc… all these close-combat classes worked to draw monsters. Right afterwards, the Mage would unleash an unceasing barrage of spells towards these monsters. Some parties would even bring their own Priest. Most Priests didn't currently have the Heal skill—their ability to deal damage wasn't as good as Mages either. For the most part, they were dirty experience leeches. Despite this, every team still looked for a Priest as if they were a hot commodity. This was because if a team wanted to have any growth or development in the future, they absolutely needed to have a good relationship with their Priest. Lacking a Priest was the same as lacking an endless supply of health potions.

As for Thieves, in the early stages of the game, many Thieves would be easily dumped by their team. However, Thieves were quite famous for their solo training speed. As long as they purchased all of the necessary skills they required, a Thief's training speed would not be inferior to a Mage's in any aspect. So, it wouldn't be much of a loss if they couldn't join a team.

Level training in the various monster spawn areas was awfully monotonous and boring. However, these players could still chat with each other. Thus, the time would pass quite quickly when they chatted on idly.

Nie Yan carefully passed through these areas where players were training because a lot of struggles would occur between players for certain training spots. If a player killed other players, they would receive a penalty with their names marked red. They would be barred from entering city walls as well. Having their names marked red meant other players could kill them without fear of recourse. Their loss of levels upon death would be even harsher, and every single piece of equipment would drop as well. Though, if that player killed monsters for a certain period of time, the red marking on their name would eventually disappear. Despite this, many players would still frequently take this risk for the sake of stealing another player's equipment. Not hesitating in the slightest, they would kill others for their equipment, regardless of having their name marked red. In order to do this safely, they would often target strangers in the wilderness far away from any city, Thus, one must be very cautious when travelling alone.

Lake Rando… this area was inhabited by Fishmen monsters. According to rumours, these Fishmen were the descendants of the ancient Wicked Naga. After countless generations, they finally developed into their current form. They possessed the body of a fish, and four limbs just like a human. The weapons they employed for attacks were their sharp teeth and the tridents they held in their hands.

Fishmen were Level 3 monsters that heavily populated the area with their massive numbers. Furthermore, there was even a Fishmen village within the vicinity. It was necessary for Nie Yan to pass through the borders of the village to enter Lake Rando. Afterwards, he would need to swim through the lake to arrive at his destination.

Situated by the lakeside of Lake Rando was the Fishmen village with its several hundred wooden huts scattered sporadically by the sandy edges of the lakeshore. This Fishmen village contained at least three hundred or so Fishmen, several tens of Fishmen Leaders, and two Elite Fishmen. If one wanted to clear this area, they'd need at least a thousand players or more.

Just as Nie Yan was preparing to activate Stealth to bypass the Fishmen village, a system announcement rang out.

 **Local Announcement: The Guild, Victorious Return, is planning to clear this location in three minutes. All players within the vicinity of the Fishmen Village, please depart immediately.**

 _Victorious Return?_ Nie Yan raised his eyebrow. In his previous life, he and the guild Victorious Return had a few run-ins and festivities together… Victorious Return's people ran rampant and acted arrogantly. They'd clear the path and kill everyone in it whenever they wanted to. A long time ago, one of Nie Yan's brothers killed three members from Victorious Return because he was discontent from the guild forcing him out of a training area. A bit of a grudge was pillared down with those from the Victorious Return, and all of the guilds went chasing after him. They threatened to have his brother slaughtered back to Level 0. Nie Yan's and the others' strength was still pretty weak back then, thus he could only hide deep within the ravines in the mountain range. He continued to level up and trained like a madman for over a month. Only when he felt his level had reached high enough did he dare to come out. Even then, he was still barely able to defend himself. In the end, he never dared to have a direct open confrontation with a big guild like Victorious Return.

 _The feeling of powerlessness back then… don't even bring it up._

 _In this life, that sort of history absolutely won't repeat itself. This debt would definitely be one that I'll have repaid in full. However, it won't be today, for now…_

Nie Yan had just entered the game for less than a day. He still needed to gradually accumulate his wealth bit by bit.

Immediately, he turned and ran towards the lakeside.

As he looked ahead of him, he saw the clear waters merging with the reflection of the azure sky. The lake gleamed and sparkled as the sun's rays illuminated the top of the crystalline clear waters.

Victorious Return's players had mobilized intensely and were surveying the area. There were many areas in the vicinity where one could discover the movements of Victorious Return's people. They definitely did not come with few numbers. It appeared that they were preparing to begin their operation on the Fishmen village.

The Fishmen village wasn't an instance, but rather a spawning ground for monsters to congregate. These types of places would also frequently drop decent items.

Nie Yan passed through a small grove of trees, arriving at about two hundred meters away from the lakeside.

Suddenly, a ball of fire streaked through the sky, launching towards Nie Yan's location.

As the ball of fire flashed, Nie Yan's line of sight shifted past the grove of trees. His eyes fell upon the body of an Elementalist wearing a red robe. The opposing player was a Level 3 Elementalist from Victorious Return!

Mages were divided into three types of classes: Elementalists, Arcane Mages, and Holy Mages. Elementalists had the ability to control ice, fire, and lightning—their power was the elements. Arcane Mages were able to control arcane might and finally, there were the Holy Mages. They were the least selected class. Their skills were the most difficult to train in, but their power was definitely the strongest. They could cast and unleash the power of divine spells.

The killing power of fire spells was the highest among the spells at an Elementalist's disposal.

By the time Nie Yan had noticed the fireball, it was already too late.

「Boom!」The fireball exploded on Nie Yan's body. It tore through Nie Yan's health, as his health bar plummeted by twenty-two points.

 **「 _System: The opposing player Violet Flame has attacked you. You are free to retaliate in legitimate self-defense. Time: 3 minutes._ 」**

When coming across a Mage, you either run up to them and engage them in close quarters combat or hastily run away.

After confirming there were no other players from Victorious Return nearby, Nie Yan dashed towards the Elementalist named Violet Flame.

A Mage's strategy was to maintain as great of a distance from the enemy as possible and bombard them with magic spells.

The Elementalist Violet Flame leapt back using the spell Flame Burst and cast Fireball once again. Afterwards, he turned around and fled in an attempt to gain some distance from Nie Yan.

When facing incoming magic in a fight, players were usually able to dodge the spell by rolling. However, if they dodged the spell by rolling, they would undoubtedly give the opposing Elementalist the opportunity to gain some distance. Nie Yan directly confronted the Elementalist's fireball and continued to charge forward.

「Boom!」The fireball exploded on Nie Yan's body, causing him to lose twenty-seven points of health.

Each time Violet Flame cast a spell, there would be a delay in the casting of the spell.

There were some essential factors in casting magic. Gestures, language, material, and magical tools were all required in casting different types of magic. The requirements for casting different spell were distinct. Some only required for you to perform a chant to cast the spell. Some required gestures and others required chants, gestures, and materials—all of these components at once in order to cast a spell.

Every spell had different requirements in order to be cast, and the casting time would vary as well.

Casting a spell used syllables and gestures as units—one syllable per second and one gesture per second. Ten syllables formed into a set of syllables and ten gestures formed into a set of gestures. Syllables and gestures could also be layered over each other—meaning they could both be done at the same time.

The casting time for the Flame Burst spell was two syllables and two gestures for a total of two seconds. If they hadn't learnt a movement skill when casting the Flame Burst spell they would need to stay still for two seconds.

Nie Yan took advantage of the time Violet Flame used to cast Flame Burst to press forward. Quickly, with a forward stab, he shaved off twenty-three points of health from Violet Flame. A Mage's defense was extraordinarily fragile.

Violet Flame leapt backwards. Promptly, he cast Fierce Flame Ring. Four separate flames appeared launching towards Nie Yan.

Fierce Flame Ring only required one syllable in order to cast.

At such a close distance, Nie Yan was simply unable to evade it. Thus, he could only suffer through, receiving thirty-nine points in damage. With a flick of his finger, he took out the Basic Health Potion from his belt and downed it.

Violet Flame's actions could be regarded as standard for a Mage. However, his movements were quite rigid and clumsy. Every Mage would tense up when a Thief neared them in close proximity.

As the Fierce Flame Ring was flying through the air, Violet Flame took the opportunity to draw back.

Nie Yan added many points into Dexterity. In terms of speed, Thieves were still quite remarkable. This time around, his speed gained him an advantage as he continuously wrapped around Violet Flame. He lunged out with two consecutive stabs causing Violet Flame to lose thirty-six points of health.

Once more, Violet Flame cast another fireball towards Nie Yan.

Conviction's combat system counted three seconds per round, and any magical spell that took less than three seconds to chant would be uninterruptible unless the caster died. Even though it was a close combat battle, Violet Flame would still be able to counter-attack Nie Yan.

Under Fireball's high damage, Nie Yan was left with twenty-five health remaining. Violet Flame wanted to retreat back to pull some distance. Brandishing his staff, he began reciting another spell incantation. The fire elements rapidly began moving towards his staff and coalescing into a round mass.

It appeared Violet Flame still had fifty-one health remaining. For the time being, he was safe because Nie Yan merely had twenty-five health remaining. As long as he casts another Fireball he could finish off Nie Yan.

Following Violet Flame's chanting, the fire elements rapidly gathered together as it raged and blazed forward.

"Drop dead!" Violet Flame felt everything was now within his control—the flames from his staff illuminated the sinister expression on his face.

Nie Yan was well aware of how dangerous his current situation was. He had already forced his way to Violet Flame's side. Glancing at his rage bar, he noticed it was fully charged and matched the requirements for an enhanced attack.

Nie Yan's deep black pupils locked onto Violet Flame's throat. Quickly, he maneuvered the dagger in his hand into a reverse grip.

"Vital Strike!"

Nie Yan's and Violet Flame's body crossed paths. A streak of cold glint flashed past Violet Flame's throat. A deep cut appeared on his throat as it split open with blood gushing forth.

 **「 _System: Vital Strike successful! Attack +5%, causing additional damage!_ 」**

 **−51**

A damage value floated atop Violet Flame's head.

 _A complete turnaround!_

 _How is this possible?_

His eyes were deeply permeated with an unfathomable sort of expression.

Never underestimate the explosive power of a Thief. When facing a Thief, never feel that you're safe or secure, even if you occupy an absolute advantage… because in the very next moment, the one who ends up dead could very well be you.

The light in Violet Flame's eyes gradually faded.「Plop…」He collapsed on the ground, still unable to understand what had happened. _How could a single Thief just suddenly burst out with so much damage…_?

 _Vital Strike… this skill's damage is pretty good,_ Nie Yan thought.

Nie Yan put away his dagger, then bent down to look through Violet Flame's corpse. Soon, he retrieved a dropped equipment and picked up a Level 0 Intelligence +3 Bronze Staff. He estimated he could sell it for around ten or so coppers.

"There's an enemy over there! Violet Flame was killed!"

"Chase! Don't let him escape!

Nie Yan had killed a member from Victorious Return. Such a large event was certain to attract the attention of everyone within the surrounding area. Six members from Victorious Return came from every direction and quickly rushed towards Nie Yan's location in an attempt to surround him.

Seeing this, Nie Yan made a mad dash towards Lake Rando. His running speed was quicker than most of the average players at his level. Soon, he rapidly gained some distance between him and the other players.

Though, a Swordsman appeared right ahead of Nie Yan, barring his way forward.

"You want to run? It's not going to be that easy! Linear Slash!'


	9. Chapter 9 – Fishmen

**Chapter 9 – Fishmen**

* * *

The Berserker jumped high into the air. Borrowing the force of gravity, he sent his sword cleaving towards Nie Yan.

By the time Nie Yan saw the Berserker's Bastard Sword whistling through the wind, it had already neared his forehead.

Nie Yan leaned his body to the side as the sword brushed past.

Within Conviction, long range attacks would automatically lock onto their target—who could only roll to dodge. As for melee combat, one could sidestep to avoid certain attacks.

The most important requirement while sidestepping to dodge head-on attacks was to have good reaction speed. The timing had to be extremely precise. In his previous life, Nie Yan had already trained this ability to an extremely proficient level. After he dodged the Berserker's attack, he made a mad dash towards the lake.

As his sword slashed through empty space, the Berserker stared out blankly with a look of shock. _That guy's reaction speed is quick, being able to even dodge an attack like that…_

By the time he turned his head, the Berserker had discovered that Nie Yan had already run out a far distance. Seeing this, he held his sword out and gave chase.

"Third Brother, what's going on with you? You can't even stop a single person from running away!" To his side, a Fighter came running over and voiced out his complaints.

"That Thief's movements were too quick. I wasn't able to stop him at all!"

The Fighter quickly glanced over at Elementalist Zi Huo's (Violet Flame's) corpse. Zi Huo was an extremely reclusive fellow, however, his skills were definitely not weak. Yet he still died by the hands of that Thief. Looking back, it appeared that the Thief was not as simple as he first appeared.

"Everyone! Gather up and bar his way forward!"

Both the Fighter and Berserker accelerated their pace.

As he drew increasingly closer to the lake's surface—at about five or six meters away—Nie Yan fished out the Basic Underwater Breathing Pill he had bought prior and popped it into his mouth.

"He wants to dive into the lake to escape!"

"Don't let him get to the water!"

In a moment of mutual understanding, both the Berserker and Fighter simultaneously leapt forward. The Fighter and Berserker were both professions of the Warrior class. Their attacks after borrowing the momentum of their leaps were much more fierce and quick compared to other melee professions.

"Sudden Assault!"

"Flame Slash!"

The Fighter brandished his sword and charged forward, quickly advancing towards Nie Yan.

As the Berserker cleaved downwards, his sword ignited and became enveloped in raging flames.

Nie Yan and the two were still a bit of a distance apart. As he turned his head to look back at them, he immediately felt his face assaulted by the flames of the sword stroke. Suddenly, from the corners of his mouth, he revealed a strange smile and then leapt backwards… His back entered the waters first, as he plunged deeply into Lake Rando.

Right after, concentric ripples began slowly dispersing through the surface of the tranquil lake waters.

The Fighter and Berserker rushed over, finally stopping at the lakeside. The Berserker prepared to jump into the lake waters, but the Fighter pulled him back and stopped him. "Forget it… there's no need to chase after a cornered enemy. Besides, none of us have any Underwater Breathing Pills." The Fighter thought back to the strange smile Nie Yan had shown just moment prior. This was the root cause of his unwillingness to enter the lake's waters—for fear that Nie Yan could possibly have some sort of malicious plan for them in the waters below. Ultimately, he was fearful that it would cause them to be left buried under the lakebed.

"Forget it… just like that?" the Berserker replied in an extremely depressed tone.

"Just consider it Zi Huo's bad luck. Who let him think he was so invincible that he could just separate himself from the team like that? Anyway, we'll let this be a lesson for him—there are still many experts besides him."

Several players from Victorious Return ran up to them breathlessly, most of whom were Mages, Priests, and so on. Their movement speeds weren't as quick compared to the Warriors. Hence, they were left far behind.

"How'd it go? Where'd that guy run off to?" one of the Mages asked.

The Fighter shook his head and replied, "We didn't catch him. He ended up diving into the lake."

That Mage had an astonished expression as he gazed at the Fighter and Berserker. _These two, Zi Yan (Violet Cliff) and Zi Ming (Violet Underworld), could be considered the top two Warriors within the guild. First, that Thief killed Zi Huo, and then he managed to escape even after being surrounded by Zi Yan and Zi Ming… Where the hell did that Thief come from?_

"I wonder… what was that Thief's name? Go ask Zi Huo. He should have already revived at the graveyard." The Mage spoke in a curious tone.

"Zi Huo just said the Thief's name is Nirvana Flame," Zi Ming replied and firmly kept this name within his mind.

In a concerned tone, the Mage commanded, "From now on, have the people under you stay cautious. If they encounter this Nirvana Flame, have them report back immediately." When the several of them came across Nie Yan, they were unable to gain any sort of advantage. As for the outcome, if ordinary members of the guild were to encounter him, one could well imagine the consequences.

After Nie Yan dived into the lake, he began swimming about. The waters of Lake Rando were extraordinarily clear. The sun's rays penetrated through the water. As the light refracted through the water's surface, it formed brightly coloured pillars. The lake's vegetation drifted about gently—slowly dancing with the waves. It formed an exceptionally beautiful and mesmerizing piece of scenery.

As Nie Yan was submerged near the lake floor, shuttling himself between the lake's vegetation, he suddenly recalled that there was another chest within Lake Rando's waters as well. However, he was a little unsure of its exact location as his memory was still a bit hazy.

 _It should definitely be near this area. That chest should contain the skill book of a supportive skill called Gatherer. Even though Gatherer is not some kind of rare skill book, it's still pretty scarce, considering the average level of the current player base._ After a player learned the Gatherer skill, they could increase their income by quite a bit. Every team required at least one member to have this skill, and every solo player definitely required the Gatherer skill as well. The market demand for the skill book was huge, however, the supply was few. This caused the relationship between supply and demand to become unbalanced. In turn, it caused the price of the Gatherer skill book to soar to great heights.

 _If I'm able to find the treasure chest, it would be very good. One of the characteristics of Thieves is that they're able to reach many locations that other professions would be incapable of reaching. By acquiring the Gatherer skill I can make it display even more of its usefulness._

 _Basic Underwater Breathing Pills can only last for fifteen minutes. If I had known earlier that I was going to be underwater searching for a treasure chest, I would've definitely bought a few more._ Nie Yan felt a considerable bit of regret.

In the far distance, a figure slowly submerged itself into the water and began swimming over. After being illuminated by the sun's rays. Nie Yan could, at last, see the figure distinctly. It was indeed a Level 3 Fishman. It had the body of a fish, its four limbs continuously moving to and fro. The speed of its movement underwater was unusually quick. In addition, it held a trident which was grasped firmly in its hand.

Nie Yan hurriedly concealed himself within the thickets of the underwater vegetation.

If it were one versus one, Nie Yan could effortlessly kill this Fishman. However, Fishmen very much loathed fighting one on one. In a situation where they were attacked, they would produce a howl so intense that it draws all the Fishmen within the immediate vicinity over to its location.

For the purpose of staying safe, Nie Yan definitely did not dare to provoke these troublesome fellows.

The Fishman was in an area not far from Nie Yan and was swimming over. Pushing apart the underwater vegetation, it made its way through.

While the Fishman was brushing past the underwater plants, Nie Yan's eyes peered through the thickets of vegetation, discovering an object faintly concealed within.

Glancing at the Fishman who had swum a far distance away, Nie Yan carefully swam past. This was an area heavily surrounded by Fishmen activity. If he were discovered, it would become dangerous very quickly.

Nie Yan brushed past the vegetation. After searching for a while, he finally found a small wooden crate within the vegetation. It was the lowest level of treasure chests—White grade. However, he was unsure if it was the one from his memories that he was looking for.

After opening the wooden crate, Nie Yan went about digging through it. Surprisingly, the sensation he felt in his hands when he touched the object in the chest wasn't that of a skill book, but rather that of a smooth pearl.

Nie Yan examined this object's properties.

 **Murloc Water Aversion Pearl: Special Item** **  
** **Additional effect: Allows the user to breathe underwater. Once activated, allows the user to breathe underwater for thirty minutes.  
** **Cooldown: Twelve Hours.**

It was the most basic of special items. Although the item wasn't anything particularly great, it would allow Nie Yan to save on a few Basic Underwater Breathing pills. So, he would still be able to use them in the future.

 _It seems this place doesn't contain only a single chest. After thinking about it, it should be right. Within such a large lake, the developers definitely wouldn't place only a single treasure chest._ Nie Yan continued his search through the thick plant growth, traveling back and forth. After finding the Water Aversion Pearl, he spent quite an ample amount of time searching for treasure chests underwater.

There were some movements in one of the thickets not far from him, causing Nie Yan's heart to jump with fright. Hurriedly, he ducked into the undergrowth next to him and concealed himself.

A single Fishman appeared swimming through the vegetation, not far from Nie Yan. It leisurely swam past the gaps between the aquatic plant life.

In the next moment, another Fishman came swimming towards Nie Yan's location.

A single Fishman appeared swimming through the vegetation. Not far from Nie Yan, it leisurely swam past the gaps between the aquatic plant life.

In the next moment, another Fishman came swimming towards Nie Yan's location.

Then another Fishman appeared and another one…

The Fishmen were appearing with increasing frequency.

 _Dammit, did I end up stumbling upon a Fishmen lair…? Or maybe it's just my luck that I ended up coming across a school of Fishmen swimming by._

One of the Fishmen neared him; the distance between them became increasingly shorter. Nie Yan felt a lump in his throat—his mind full of anxiousness and urgency. He firmly grasped onto the dagger in his hand. _Hiding seems like it's going to be impossible now. I can only hope for an opportunity to escape. Only, my swimming speed can't be compared to that of a Fishmen. I'm not confident that I can really escape…  
_  
The number of Fishmen within the vicinity were simply too many. If all of them came over, the only path Nie Yan would have left to take was death.

 _If I were to blame someone I can only blame myself for getting too greedy. For the sake of finding treasure, I completely forgot about the dangers._

One of the Fishmen arrived in the area about three meters away from him. It seemed to have noticed something. Halting in place, it raised up the trident in its hand.

「Kieeh! Croak!」The Fishmen opened its mouth and produced a bizarre call.

Nie Yan gazed at his surroundings. At least ten or so Fishmen emerged, surrounding the area he had hidden himself in. The Trident, which was as bright as snow, had already completely sealed off his escape route.

He was finished. There was no way he could beat these Fishmen. The speed at which they moved underwater was unusually quick. Furthermore, once their sharp teeth bit into their target, they wouldn't release their jaws until they tore their target to shreds.

 _Escaping is absolutely impossible. It's also impossible to win, even if I try forcefully facing off against them._

In his mind, Nie Yan was prepared to die. He quickly glanced at the body of the Fishmen directly opposite of him. They had a soft red patch surrounding their abdomens—that area was their weak spot _. Even if I die, I'll at least take one out with me!_

Just at that moment, the intense sound of a horn rang out from the distant direction of the lakeside. The quick tempo was filled with urgency, as the loud and clear sound continuously resonated into the far distance.

This was the warning signal. The Fishmen tribe was being attacked!

The ten or so surrounding Fishmen near Nie Yan all stopped their movements at the same time.「Gurgle, Croak!」Shifting their heads to listen carefully, they opened their mouths and spoke in a strange language. Right after, they all simultaneously swam towards the direction of the lakeside at a great speed.

These ten Fishmen swam away, becoming increasingly distant. Over a hundred Fishmen rushed over from all directions, converging together towards a single point as if they were a shoal of fish.

The Fishmen gradually disappeared from Nie Yan's view.

Nie Yan still felt apprehension in his heart. By some stroke of luck, the outcome of those subsequent events was surprising. However, they were still within his expectations.


	10. Chapter 10 – Physician Blevins

**Chapter 10 – Physician Blevins**

* * *

Nie Yan glanced in the direction of the Lakeside. _It seems they've already started._

The Fishmen tribe was suffering an attack by the Victorious Return guild. This was why the encircling Fishmen had abandoned their attack and returned to aid their tribe. _I never thought Victorious Return's people would end up saving my life. Haha, this world is so wonderfully strange!_

After all the Fishmen had swum away, the surrounding vicinity was now completely safe. Hence, Nie Yan stepped up his search for nearby treasure chests. Eventually, he noticed another treasure chest hidden within the thick underwater vegetation. It was a white treasure chest, just like the last.

 _The surrounding landscape… everything here coincides with the one in my memories. This is the location!_

Nie Yan opened the chest. Digging through it, he felt a skill book make contact with his hands. It was the Gatherer skill book! As he held it in his hands, it turned into a streak of white light. The skill bar for supportive abilities had another skill appear—Gatherer!

 _Pretty decent harvest… However, I don't know if there are any other treasure chests within this area. It would simply be a waste of time to keep searching. It doesn't matter; I still know many other locations where I can find treasure chests. When I level up a bit, I can go pick them up at any time._

Nie Yan swam, shuttling back and forth between the aquatic plants. If he encountered a monster, he would avoid them by staying a far distance away. After about ten minutes of swimming, he noticed a single island in the middle of Lake Rando. Only after noticing this did he swim towards the surface.

 **「 _System: You've discovered an island within the center of the lake_.」**

Reaching the shore, Nie Yan checked his coordinates. As he was investigating the surrounding area, he discovered a person sitting in the far distance—fishing by the shore.

This NPC was a very odd old man. He would make a request to every single player who encountered him to retrieve Fine Silk. For every bundle of Fine Silk that was brought back, the player would receive one Silk Cloth.

If Fine Silk was sold to an NPC, it would amount to three coppers. However, Silk Cloth could only be sold for two coppers. If one continued on like this, there would be a loss in profit. Even after continuously exchanging with him, this old man would still do absolutely nothing to compensate the player.

There were many players who would complete this task. However, every one of them would continue to receive losses—never to receive a reward of any sort.

Nie Yan also did this task in his previous life. Only after delivering five Fine Silk did he finally give up accepting this quest. Exchanging Fine Silk for Silk Cloth was truly a waste of money.

Sometime later, a person who did not believe he would continue to receive nothing, repeatedly accepted the quest. Only after delivering thirty Fine Silk did he finally receive a reward. This NPC would impart onto the player the Combat Medic skill—not only this, but it would be at the Intermediate level as well. After this information came out, it caused an uproar among the player-base. One after another, they would continuously rush over to accept the quest. However by that time, the NPC had already left.

Currently in the area where Nie Yan was located, there were Level 3 monsters known as Water Spiders that dropped Fine Silk. Obtaining thirty Fine Silk would probably require about three days of continuous grinding. It just so happened that he could farm these thirty pieces of Fine Silk while also leveling up. Exchanging thirty Fine Silk for thirty Silk Cloth was merely a loss of thirty coppers, nothing more. Compared to an Intermediate Combat Medic skill, it was truly a negligible amount.

Nie Yan walked over to the old man.

The strange old man muttered loudly to himself, "Around this time of year, the Hilton Stronghold would be besieged by the devil creatures that arise from the remote underground. There are numerous warriors who defend the stronghold. For the sake of safeguarding this lush and prosperous land, they pay with their blood and lives. The wounded suffer in anguish every day and night. To them, yesterday is the same as tomorrow and tomorrow is the same as yesterday."

He turned his head towards Nie Yan and asked, "Youngster, now tell me—would it better if I fished here on the shore, or would it be better if I fished while on the waters?"

The old man had grey hair and appeared somewhat senile with his age. Numerous wrinkles were spread across his face. As if withered, his skin looked similar to tree bark. Sagging like the folds of his skin, his ashen-grey cloak hung low by his fishing rod.

From his impression, Nie Yan's felt this NPC was a funny muddle-headed old man. He always asked a series of strange and odd questions, and it was fine as long as you somewhat answered them. However at present, when Nie Yan heard the old man's words, "Yesterday is the same as tomorrow. Tomorrow is also the same as yesterday," they had a new type of meaning.

This old man wasn't an old fool. Rather, he was actually quite wise!

It was fine if you answered the question in whichever way you liked. However, as if goaded on by some supernatural force, Nie Yan answered, "As long as you're able to catch fish, shore or water, what difference does it make?"

Hearing Nie Yan's answer, the old man's eyes flashed with a strange glint.

Noticing the change in the old man's expression as it fell upon his eyes, Nie Yan became increasingly convinced—this Old Man in front of him definitely wasn't simple.

"Time is akin to an illusion and moves like a pendulum. The months and years are wasted doing nothing and suffering eternally repeats. In the end, everything returns to dust. Even if those brave warriors are able to defend this vast great world, they won't be able to escape the pain of illness and the Reaper of Death. In the end, what meaning is there to life?" the Old Man sighed.

"The meaning of life is to stubbornly prevail—to live without regrets," Nie Yan said, while deep in contemplation. These were the insights he had gained this life after living through his previous one. He continued replying to the old man's question. "All their loved ones, their fellow brothers… all of them are here alongside them in this vast world. They continue to resist the attacks of their enemies for the sake of bringing them happiness. They stake their lives in order to defend this _conviction._ That is their honor and that is their glory. In doing so, the God of Light will protect them."

Nie Yan speculated that this old man was very likely one of the NPCs from the Hilton Stronghold, who left and journeyed outside in search of Fine Silk.

Listening to Nie Yan's words, the muddled expression in the old man's eyes became clear.

"Young man, I need a lot of Fine Silk. Is it possible for you to help me obtain it?" the old man asked.

"It's my desire to help in any way I can," Nie Yan happily replied. These were the exact words he had waited for.

 **「 _System: You've received a task. Physician Blevins has entrusted you the task of retrieving Fine Silk._ 」**

Nie Yan began to recall. In his previous life, he had simply answered all these questions without much thought. The task he ended up receiving was "Nameless Old Man's Request." It seems the name of this current quest and the one he had received in the past weren't exactly the same.

 _This old man ought to be the NPC physician in the Hilton Stronghold… Did he come all the way from the Hilton Stronghold for the sake of finding Fine Silk?_

The fact that this old man also taught the Intermediate Combat Medic skill further confirmed Nie Yan's suspicions.

 _All of that doesn't matter right now. First, I'll finish this quest and think about it later._

Nie Yan bid farewell to the old man and headed south of the small island. That region of the lake was an area where Water Spiders roamed about. Although Water Spiders were Level 3 monsters, their combat strength wasn't that great. Only when they were on the water's surface would they become somewhat of a problem.

Once more, Nie Yan plunged into the lake, then stuck his head out of the water. This region of underwater space didn't have a lot of monster activity. Thus, he didn't have to worry about any monsters launching a sneak attack from below.

Soon, he discovered a Water Spider. They were a species of spider that grew to a very large size. They were capable of moving about at high speeds on the water's surface. Unlike other spiders, they didn't use venom to attack. Furthermore, they were even afraid of humans. As long as a player didn't attack them, they wouldn't take the initiative to attack the player.

 **Water Spider: Level 3** **  
** **Health: 80/80**

Nie Yan gradually neared the Water Spider from behind. Swiftly, he raised his dagger and pounced forward. Stabbing into the Water Spider's back, he managed to attack it several times in quick succession.

The Water Spider shrieked miserably before lunging towards its attacker. Nie Yan quickly dodged, and then returned with another stab. Saving enough energy for a Vital Strike, he stabbed the Water Spider in the eye.

Letting out an agonized shriek, the Water Spider's legs shrivelled up and curled towards its body as it floated on the surface of the water.

After dying, it dropped a single copper. Nie Yan caught the copper coin it dropped before swimming off towards another Water Spider.

The drop rate for Fine Silk was 0.5%. In other words, Nie Yan needed to kill around six thousand Water Spiders in order to obtain the thirty pieces of Fine Silk. This would require about three days of nonstop grinding.

Three days would be enough time for Nie Yan to raise his level to three, learn the Combat Medic skill, and return to town to purchase a few skill books. His strength would improve quite a bit.

In the far distance, Nie Yan saw a Water Spider moving at high speed on the surface of the lake.

A single spell fell from the Heavens and struck the Water Spider down. Soon, a damage value of thirty-six floated over its head.

It was Holy Smite—a spell used by Holy Mages.

 _There's another person in this area?_

Nie Yan became vigilant and went on high alert. Looking far off into the distance, he noticed a person being pursued by a Level 3 Water Spider.

It was quite far away, so Nie Yan could only see that this person belonged to the Holy Mage class. Not only this, but the Holy Mage was a woman as well. She was clutching a blue-coloured staff in her hand and was wearing a white mage robe over her body. However, he was still unable to clearly distinguish her features.

It seemed that she was in a bit of trouble. Nie Yan stayed silent for a moment. Afterwards, he dived underwater and swam towards her. If she was a hostile player, he would kill her without hesitation. However, if there was no enmity, he would lend her a hand.

That Holy Mage was dealing with the pursuing Water Spiders. By coincidence, she was also swimming over in his direction.

At last, Nie Yan's head broke out of the water. He was now approximately five meters away from her.

Noticing another person—Nie Yan—popping out of the water, the Holy Mage tensed up. Immediately, she changed directions and swam over to another location.

She was currently being chased by several Water Spiders. If she encountered a person who took pleasure in kicking others while they were down, it would undoubtedly mean her death.

Both parties were already in close proximity.

When the Holy Mage turned her head around, Nie Yan could clearly see the other person's appearance. She was a beautiful looking young woman. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, with a single lock of hair hanging down from the side of her face. Her cheeks were white, and her eyes were as clear as water.

Although Conviction altered a player's appearance, they were only slight adjustments. The overall attractiveness of the player would not be altered. Hence, their level of attractiveness would fundamentally be the same as it was in reality. This was also one of the reasons why Conviction drew people in.

Nie Yan was able to clearly see at a glance that the Holy Mage across from him was a real beauty.

The Holy Mage worryingly gazed over at where Nie Yan was located—their two eyes converged. She turned around and continued to fend off the Water Spiders. Simultaneously evading three Water Spiders was definitely a little challenging. However, she still remained very calm. Using a Haste scroll on herself, her speed immediately increased by several fold.

After recognizing the opposite party's appearance, Nie Yan's mouth opened so wide a chicken egg could fit in it. _How did I end up meeting her here!?_

He couldn't help emotionally sighing at how minuscule the world was.

The beautiful woman across from him was called Yao Yao (Dark Mystery). Come to think of it, in his past life, the two of them actually had a rather complicated and ill-fated relationship. Never did he expect that they would meet again here. It appeared lovers or enemies could truly not avoid meeting with one another.

Perhaps this type of chance encounter was meant to be.

Nie Yan and his friends were going to enter an instance. However, they were short a Mage. Thus, one of his friends brought Yao Yao into the team. This was the first time they had met. Afterwards, they gradually grew closer when they found more opportunities to party up later on and had many more adventures together.

 _Old friends are the same as before_ , Nie Yan sighed with deep sorrow.


	11. Chapter 11 – Assassinate Skill Book

**Chapter 11 – Assassinate Skill Book**

* * *

Yao Yao was continuously placed in dangerous situations. Seeing this, Nie Yan quickly swam over in her direction.

Yao Yao became even more nervous when she saw Nie Yan swim over. There were three monsters chasing her from behind. Perhaps if she relied on her excellent skills, then she would be able to slowly whittle away their health until they died. Even then, her hopes of survival wouldn't surpass ten percent. However, if Nie Yan were to take advantage of her situation, she would essentially have no chance of living.

Noticing the three Water Spiders repeatedly launching themselves at Yao Yao, Nie Yan increased his pace and closed in from behind. Gradually, he overtook one of the Water Spiders. With his dagger in hand, he leaped out of the water's surface and stabbed at the center of its back.

Yao Yao turned around and followed Nie Yan's attack by casting Holy Smite. The spell connected and blasted the Water Spider's body, killing it in the process.

She gazed over and stared at her savior. Since Nie Yan had helped her deal with the Water Spider, Yao Yao presumed he didn't have any malicious intents.

Nie Yan directed his attention to another Water Spider—one that had only half of its health remaining. Using Vital Strike, he stabbed the spider in the eye and dealt fifty-two damage.

In the blink of an eye, only one of the three original spiders remained standing.

 _What a powerful attack!_ Yao Yao stared in astonishment at Nie Yan. In her mind, out of all her friends, she had never met anyone as strong as him. Looking again, he seemed somewhat unfamiliar.

After Nie Yan finished killing the second Water Spider, he immediately swam over to the third.

With two people against only a single spider, the situation immediately appeared to be much more relaxed.

Yao Yao brandished the staff in her right hand and cast Holy Strike. The attack landed on the remaining Water Spider's body.

"Thank you." Seeing that the three Water Spiders were completely wiped out, Yao Yao faced Nie Yan and expressed her gratitude. However, she still remained on alert, just in case Nie Yan decided to suddenly attack.

"No need to be polite, it was only a slight effort. Hi, I'm called Nie Yan (Nirvana Flame)." Nie Yan smiled brightly, and began to recall, in the past Yao Yao had been a very gentle and understanding girl. She was a very considerate person. Though she was a little headstrong as well—for a girl, it wasn't too hard of a shortcoming to accept.

"My name is Yao Yao (Dark Mystery)." Evidently, she still remained quite cautious. She had never met Nie Yan before, so it wasn't very easy for her to let her guard down.

Nie Yan wanted to add Yao Yao as a friend and find out what she was doing here. However, so as not to make it appear too sudden, he wouldn't ask these inappropriate questions immediately. After all, Yao Yao was still a girl. Despite understanding that she remained cautious when facing him, Nie Yan still firmly believed that from his understanding of Yao Yao, the two of them could still become friends like before.

Back then, after he became acquainted with her in the game, it was always her who would stay by his side comforting and encouraging him whenever he felt really depressed or frustrated. The two of them still remained friends. However, a _certain relationship_ had unwittingly occurred between the two of them. From thenceforth, the complications between the two could not be broken nor tidied up.

Yao Yao quietly observed Nie Yan. Looking at him, he gave the impression of being very young and he didn't seem like a bad person.

The two people didn't exchange any words afterward. Due to Yao Yao's cold nature, it caused the two parties to become somewhat silent.

"Today you saved me, so I want to thank you. How about we add each other as friends?" Yao Yao broke the ice by speaking.

"You're welcome. So, why are you here farming Water Spiders?" Nie Yan asked. This place was quite a far distance from any towns. Hence, few players would frequent this area.

"One of my quests is to kill Water Spiders and collect their Water Sacks," Yao Yao replied. As she began to recall the prior events, she thought, _That was quite a close call. Just a moment ago, I nearly died to the monsters here. If I died, then these past three to four days of painstaking efforts would've gone down the drain.  
_  
"That's great; I also happened to accept a quest that requires me to kill Water Spiders, but to gather their Fine Silk instead. We should party up and kill these spiders together. The Water Sacks will go to you, and Fine Silk to me. How about it?" Nie Yan suggested.

Yao Yao remained silent for a moment. Then she nodded her head and said, "Alright, however, we both have to agree to one condition. If a person finishes collecting the materials they need, then they can leave at any time."

She chose to put forth these conditions so if she felt Nie Yan were being useless when they were killing monsters together, she could leave immediately.

"That's only natural. I'll start the party." Nie Yan sent Yao Yao a party request.

 **System: Yao Yao has become a member of your party.**

"I have twelve Fine Silks on me right now. I'll give them to you. Just consider it a thank you gift." Yao Yao opened her trade window while she spoke.

"Twelve Fine Silks is the equivalent of thirty-six coppers!" Nie Yan shook his head in refusal.

"Are you meaning to say that my level's worth of experience isn't even worth thirty-six coppers? Besides, I don't have any use for Fine Silk anyways." Yao Yao stared at Nie Yan. Her eyes were quite large and round, while her eyelashes were slightly raised. She appeared to be quite smart and quick-witted. Yao Yao clearly showed that she didn't want to owe him a debt. Furthermore, she also came up with an idea to pay him back. Since it was also favourable for him, Nie Yan didn't have any reasons to pester her more about it.

"Fine." Nie Yan confirmed the trade. Once Yao Yao was set on a matter, she would become very stubborn. Hence, Nie Yan didn't want to argue further and cause the atmosphere to become too stiff.

"That's more like it." Yao Yao let out a faint smile once she saw Nie Yan accept the trade.

In this way, Nie Yan had taken a large step towards completing his quest.

Nie Yan began organizing his inventory as he quietly observed Yao Yao. Compared to the time when the two had first met in his past life, she seemed slightly more immature. Her skin appeared white as snow, while the lake waters that had soaked into her clothes caused her tight-fitting robe to accentuate her curvaceous figure even more.

Nie Yan distinctly remembered the day when they were in the dungeons under Fenarte city. When Yao Yao had taken off her clothes, her bare and perfectly curved body resembled the carving of a goddess.

On that erotic and lascivious day, both of them became completely dominated by the most primal of urges.

However, they clearly understood… this was only a game. Neither of the two had the courage to approach the other in real life. After that event, they gradually returned to the roles of just being good friends. Only, that one instance had ended up turning into a magnificent mistake. It became a lifelong memory that could never be erased, submerging itself deeply within their hearts.

Nie Yan and Yao Yao chatted for a while, talking about topics related to nothing but the game. However, the two still chatted rather amicably.

"How about we start going?" Yao Yao blinked while staring at Nie Yan.

Nie Yan's appearance could only be regarded as ordinary. Indeed, he was unable to compare to the several people on her team. However, the way he treated people wasn't bad. So in that sense, he was much more pleasing to the eye than her other companions.

Two people hunting monsters was much faster than a single person alone. Nie Yan tanked, dealing with the monsters in the front while Yao Yao attacked from the back with Holy Smite and Holy Strike. A Holy Mage's damage output was really powerful. Compared to Nie Yan's damage, it was much higher. Though naturally, when it came to comparing attack speed, she wasn't able to reach Nie Yan at all.

Nie Yan's mind went blank for a moment as he began to recall those matters in his previous life. Immediately, he regained his focus. Those matters in the past were already over. He'll become good friends with Yao Yao again, however, he absolutely wouldn't make that mistake again. Xie Yao was the only person who was engraved in Nie Yan's heart. After all, everything in a game is only an illusion. In the end, even the most harmonious of virtual lovers would also eventually part ways.

"Have you joined a team yet?" Yao Yao asked.

"At present, I still haven't."

"How come? With your skills being so good, I wouldn't be surprised if there were a lot of teams competing to recruit you." Yao Yao felt rather puzzled.

"I'm used to training alone. As for joining a team, I'll think about it in the future. There's no meaning in joining a team in the early levels after all."

Nie Yan finished speaking and lunged towards a nearby Water Spider. Very quickly, Yao Yao followed up with a Holy Smite.

Just as the Water Spider was about to make a move, Nie Yan's dagger had already stabbed into the spider's abdomen, killing it in the process. The pair coordinated extremely well and had a tacit understanding.

This was the first time Yao Yao had felt so relaxed while farming monsters with another person. She couldn't help but have some doubts in her heart and wonder, could she have met Nie Yan somewhere before?

"Nirvana Flame (Nie Yan), Nirvana Flame (Nie Yan)…¹ it couldn't possibly be him, right?" Muttering to herself, Yao Yao stared at the figure of Nie Yan's back. Dazedly, she began to feel he somewhat resembled a person she knew.

"Our team currently has only seventeen people, so it's still not full. Do you want to join us?" Yao Yao suggested. _Although Nie Yan is only Level 2, his skills are quite good. Big Sis Blue Feather (Yu Lan) would most likely welcome him gladly._

"I don't want to join any teams for now," Nie Yan said, declining her offer.

"Oh." Yao Yao felt a slight sense of disappointment.

"An Assassinate skill book for Thieves dropped," Nie Yan said.

"It's a Thief skill book, so you should take it then. If a Mage item drops, just give it to me. We'll each take what we need."

After having chatted for quite a while, the two gradually became more familiar. Thus, Yao Yao also wouldn't haggle over any drops with Nie Yan.

"Then, I'll be helping myself." Nie Yan gazed at the Assassinate skill book.

 **Skill Book: Assassinate** **  
** **Description: Thieves gain Rage after a successful strike.  
** **Requirements: Action (requires weapon)** **  
** **Properties: Hitting a target's vitals adds an additional Attack +2, Rage +1, Combo Count +1.  
** **Cooldown: 30 s  
** **Restriction: Thief, Warrior, Paladin; can be learned by any faction.**

Nie Yan wasn't like those whom she had partied up with before. They would put on an act of sincerity and decline, only to accept it right afterward. Yao Yao's expression changed into a slight smile. While interacting with Nie Yan, she had unexpectedly developed a sort of familiarity that penetrated deeply into her bone marrow. Right here, she didn't need to act in the sort of manner she did in real life—always putting on many false facades.

Nie Yan finished learning the Assassinate skill. Thus, his skill bar had another skill added to it.

A Thief's attack skills were divided into Basic Skills, Combo Skills, and Finishing Skills. Basic skills could be used at any time. Combo Skills were used to obtain a combo count, and to build up Rage when attacking an enemy. Vital Strike and skills similar to it were classified as Finishing Skills. They were only able to be used after building up a sufficient amount of Rage. Every additional point added to the combo count would give an additional +20% in attack. The upper limit for this combo count was ten stacks. Once they were used, the combo counter would reset to zero.

As such, this was the beauty of the existence known as the combo system. If two Thieves possessing the same skills were to match up, the damage an expert level Thief would deal was often two to three times higher than the average thief—sometimes even more.

Under ordinary circumstances, it was considered quite normal for a Thief to have twice as many Basic Skills and Combo Skills than Finishing Skills in their skillset.

After obtaining Assassinate, Nie Yan's Rage was now able to build up at a much faster rate. One normal attack followed by Assassinate would build up enough Rage to use Vital Strike.

Nie Yan and Yao Yao became increasingly skillful in their coordination. Thus, the two of them acted more daringly as they accelerated the rate at which they hunted monsters. During the times when there were many opponents, Nie Yan would be dealing with three monsters at a time while Yao Yao frantically cast spells from behind.

Her staff never stopped moving, continuously firing off Holy Smites and Holy Strikes. When she was out of mana, she would drink a mana recovery potion.

As long as one wasn't interrupted by an attack from the enemy, a Basic Mana Recovery Potion would restore sixty mana in thirty seconds. The price was also inexpensive, so it was extremely cost-effective.

"How many Water Sacks have you collected?"

"Fifty-two."

"How much more do you need?"

"Eight more."

"It seems you'll be finished collecting them very soon. You probably haven't learned Alchemy Crafting yet, right? After you've handed in your quest, go to Moste Town **(** **356.329.31)**. That place should have a Hidden NPC who issues the quest called 'Rare Herbs.' After you've completed the quest from the NPC, you'll be able to learn Perfect Alchemy Crafting," Nie Yan said. Perfect Alchemy Crafting's effectiveness was a lot more powerful when compared to common Alchemy Crafting.

 _Ahhhh… I'm going to complete my quest so soon._ Yao Yao suddenly felt a sense of loss in her heart. Hunting monsters together with Nie Yan was far more enjoyable than leveling alone; at the very least, she had a companion to chat with.

* * *

¹ Nirvana Flame and Nie Yan—his real name—have the same pronunciation when spoken in Mandarin.


	12. Chapter 12 – Extra Income

**Chapter 12 – Extra Income**

* * *

"Why learn Alchemy Crafting?" Yao Yao (Dark Mystery) asked in a puzzled tone.

"Mages who don't learn Alchemy Crafting are certain to become poor beggars by the time they reach a high level. After all, magic potions are extremely expensive. The innate skill of a Human Mage is that they are able to skip a grade when creating magic type potions. It would simply be too much of a waste if a Mage didn't learn Alchemy Crafting," Nie Yan replied.

"Alright then, I've recorded the coordinates. Thanks for the recommendation, Nie Yan.

After noticing the movements of a water spider just ahead of him, Nie Yan began swimming towards its location. It was in an area about five meters away. Though suddenly, he stopped and swam no further. The Water Spider in front of him wasn't exactly the same as an ordinary Water Spider—its build was slightly larger than average.

 **Water Spider Leader: Level 3** **  
** **Health: 160/160**

"It's a Leader monster," Nie Yan turned his head and said to Yao Yao.

"Can we beat it?" Yao Yao asked. Nie Yan was more knowledgeable than her. So somehow, she was starting to get used to asking Nie Yan whenever she had a question.

"Just barely. Only… it's going to be slightly difficult." Nie Yan surveyed the nearby area. The open water didn't have any terrain they would be able to make use of. Not to mention this region was a haven for Water Spiders.

"If it's too dangerous, then we should let it pass," Yao Yao added. It would simply be too much of a loss if they ended up dying and dropping a level. For it would take two to three days' time at minimum if they desired to train back to their current state.

"Do you have any Underwater Breathing Pills?" Nie Yan asked. The Water Spider was a type of creature that could only move on the water's surface. Hence, they were unable to dive underwater—a fatal weakness of theirs.

"I don't have any more. I didn't carry enough and ended up using them all before." Yao Yao's expression had turned a shade of red. She hadn't expected that—while on this journey—she would be required to use up so many Underwater Breathing Pills. If she did have enough pills, she also wouldn't have met with such dangers. She could dive underwater whenever she encountered danger, and there would've been no problems at all.

"I still have one more pill with me… Take it. Water Spiders can't dive underwater, so you'll be the one attacking it first. If you're forced into close quarters with it, then dive underwater immediately. I'll be in the distance shooting crossbow bolts to draw it away. Once it's gone far enough, resurface and continue casting. When its health nears zero, we'll regroup and face it then," Nie Yan said after contemplating for a moment.

Using this method, they could gradually whittle at the Water Spider Leader's health until it died.

"I didn't see it before, but that head of yours is truly useful." Yao Yao couldn't help but stare at Nie Yan. In his hands, any sort of problem simply became a cakewalk to resolve.

"When I was younger, my IQ was tested to be at two hundred and six. Matters such as these are a mere trifle!" Nie Yan smiled before swimming over to another side.

Seeing the appearance of how pleased Nie Yan was with himself, Yao Yao couldn't help but break out into a grin. _Really, this guy, give him a little praise and he gets so happy._

Seeing that he was about twenty meters apart from the Water Spider Leader, Nie Yan signaled Yao Yao.

She waved her staff and cast Holy Smite. The spell struck the Spider Leader's body, dealing fifteen points of damage to its health. [ **Health: 145/160]**

 _What's with this Leader monster? Its defense is actually higher by a lot!_

「Hiss!」The Spider Leader let out a strange screech and began sprinting towards Yao Yao. Before the Spider Leader was able to reach her location, she could still cast one more spell. She began to activate Holy Strike.「Boom!」A beam of light exploded forth, falling from the Heavens and smashing down onto the Spider Leader's body—causing it to lose sixteen health. [ **Health: 129/160]**

Once Nie Yan finished arming his crossbow, three bolts fired out in succession.「Putt! Putt! Putt!」All of them hit their target.

 **−6, −6,** **−6** **[Health: 111/160]** Three damage numbers floated above the Spider Leader's head. Afterwards, he continued to rearm the crossbow.

Having finished casting Holy Strike, Yao Yao saw that the Spider Leader had charged close to her position. Almost immediately, she dove back into the water.

After Yao Yao had dove underwater, the Spider Leader had no means of getting to her.

The Spider Leader was skittering back and forth fretfully on the water's surface, where Yao Yao had submerged.

「Whsh! Whsh! Whsh!」Three bolts arrived at their target, hitting the Spider Leader's head. **[Health: 93/160]** Nie Yan immediately attracted its attention, and the spider went sprinting towards his location.

Nie Yan anxiously resupplied his crossbow with bolts. Before he could even finish fully reloading, the Spider Leader had already rushed in front of him. He hurriedly swapped his crossbow for his dagger.

"Assassinate!"

Nie Yan struck out with Assassinate, stabbing the Spider Leader in its flank—dealing twelve points of damage to its health bar. **[Health: 81/120]**

The Spider Leader leapt forward and struck him, causing Nie Yan to lose sixty health.

 _What a strong attack!_

 _If I suffer another hit, I'll undoubtedly die!_

Nie Yan originally wanted to fight it out for another round. However, when he was facing a danger of this degree, he didn't dare take the risk. In the next moment, he dove into the water.

The Spider Leader's next strike hit empty air. Raising its sharp stinging legs, it stabbed into the water below. Its legs were similar to arrows raining down and entering the water's surface. One struck Nie Yan and pierced directly into his shoulder.

 **−32**

A damage value floated atop Nie Yan's head.

The Spider Leader had succeeded in hitting with one of its attacks. Soon after, another leg came piercing towards Nie Yan.

Nie Yan did a quick roll within the water. The Spider Leader's awl-like leg pierced through the water, just past Nie Yan's cheek, causing a large streak of bubbles to emerge.

 _Close call!_ Only after Nie Yan dived a bit deeper, did he finally leave the Spider Leader's attack range. He had a little less than twenty health remaining. Next time he wouldn't confront the Spider Leader head on.

"Sacred Art!"

Taking advantage of the Spider Leader's attention on Nie Yan, Yao Yao cast her strongest spell dealing twenty-seven damage to its health.

 **[Health: 54/120]**

"Are you alright?" Yao Yao asked in a worried tone. She saw two very large damage values float over Nie Yan's head.

"I'm fine. The Water Spider Leader's attacks are too powerful. By all means, do not get hit by one of its attacks," Nie Yan said while still having some lingering fears. He had underestimated the Spider Leader's attack capability and nearly died.

"Okay, I understand," Yao Yao answered back and continued to brandish her staff.

Under her unceasing bombardment of attacks, the Spider Leader's aggro shifted back to Yao Yao. Once more, it charged in her direction.

"Holy Smite! Holy Strike!"

 **−15 **[Health: 39/160]**  
 **−16 [Health: 23/160]****

After Yao Yao finished casting another round of spells, she once again dove underwater.

The Spider Leader irritably skittered around the water's surface. Nie Yan then fired off another three bolts, hitting the Spider Leader in its butt. **[Health: 5/160]**

So after kiting it back and forth, the Spider Leader's health bar was gradually drained clean. Following Yao Yao casting one final Sacred Art, the Spider Leader's health bar dropped to zero. its body floated above the surface of the water, shrivelled and curled up.

The entire process was simpler than they had imagined.

Seeing the Water Spider Leader meet its death, Nie Yan finally relaxed and sighed in relief. After killing it, his experience bar rose to fifty-two percent.

"What item did it drop?" Nie Yan asked.

"Come and see." Yao Yao put the two items she just picked up into the trade window.

 **Fine Silk Gloves (Bronze Grade)  
** **Level Requirements: Level 0** **  
** **Properties: Defense 2–3, Magic +3** **  
** **Weight: 1.3 lb** **  
** **User Restriction: Mage; can be equipped by any faction**

 **Rare Fine Silk (Raw Materials)** **  
** **Quantity: 5** **  
**

"You have the Appraisal skill?" Nie Yan asked. It's reasonable to say that recently dropped items should be unidentified. He would've never expected that Yao Yao —with her Level being so low—had already learned the Appraisal skill.

Yao Yao nodded her head and said, "Correct! I learned the most basic Appraisal skill.

"The gloves go to you and, since I need it, the Rare Fine Silk to me," Nie Yan said. _What difference does this Rare Fine Silk have with ordinary Fine Silk? I wonder… will Physician Blevins accept this Rare Fine Silk, or not?_

"En, I won't be polite then," Yao Yao said. Fortunately, those gloves were just what she needed—having Magic +3 as a property. To a Mage, an increase in Magic was the best property they could wish for in a piece of equipment. If it were placed in the market, it would go for at least fifty or sixty coppers. If one calculated, Nie Yan had received the raw end of the deal. Yao Yao felt slightly apologetic, but recalling that Nie Yan had also picked up the Assassinate skill book earlier, she became less flustered.

Yao Yao placed the Rare Fine Silk in her trade window. Afterwards, both of them pressed accept.

While the two were conducting the trade, they were both really close. Nie Yan glanced at Yao Yao's cheek. Her skin tone was as healthy as ever—jade like porcelain so white, he couldn't find a single blemish.

"What are you staring at?" Yao Yao asked in a panicked manner. Being gazed at by Nie Yan caused a deep red to emerge from her cheeks, lightly spreading across her face.

Seeing Yao Yao's expression redden like a tomato, Nie Yan laughed and swam towards a nearby Water Spider.

After an afternoon of killing monsters, Nie Yan had collected twenty-three Fine Silks, and Yao Yao finally finished gathering the Water Sacks she required.

"In a few days, my team will be hunting in the Treant Forest near Tellak Town. We still have a few spots, do you want to join?" Yao Yao pretended to ask in a casual and nonchalant manner. However, in her heart, she actually had some faint hopes and expectations that Nie Yan would accept.

 _Treant Forest is a small Level 3 instance; it's one of the basic instances. The difficulty for basic instances is usually high. The final Treant King is pretty troublesome as well—an Elite monster. If a Fighter's Defense stat didn't reach sixty, and their health wasn't at least two hundred and twenty, they basically have no chance._

"How many people do you have?"

"Including you, we have eighteen: two Fighters, two Berserkers, two Paladins, two Thieves, three Priests, and seven Mages."

"How much defense and health do your Fighters have?" Nie Yan asked. _If her team is skilled, there'd be no harm in going once. Treant Forest drops quite a few good Thief-related items._

"Fifty-three Defense, and two hundred thirty health."

"Their health is fine, however, their defense is too low. I'd still advise you guys to not go," Nie Yan said as he shook his head. The Fighters' stats were lacking a bit.

"Why?" Yao Yao opened her eyes widely, staring at Nie Yan in bewilderment.

"The Treant King has a two percent chance of landing a critical hit. Therefore the Fighters' defense and health must be high. The Priests' Heal skill also needs to be able to follow up. Otherwise, if a critical hit occurred and your Fighters are killed, then your whole team will end up being wiped. Although you don't drop equipment or levels in an instance, you'll still lose twenty percent of your experience. Which is enough to be unbearable for most people."

"How do you know this?"

Nie Yan faintly smiled, but he didn't reply.

"Although I feel what you're saying could possibly be correct, they've already been preparing for many days. I can't just refuse to go, right?"

"Just listen to my words. Have your Fighters get their defense to sixty, first, then you can go," Nie Yan said. If Yao Yao didn't listen to his warnings and went now, she was sure to lose twenty percent of her experience. Fortunately, twenty percent wasn't all that much. With less than a day's worth of training, she could gain it back.

"Defense of sixty… it's only possible if we get another piece of Bronze-grade equipment at the very least. That's going to be too difficult," Yao Yao said while shaking her head. A piece of Bronze-grade equipment was at least, but not limited to, five or six times the price of ordinary equipment. At minimum, it would cost at least three to four silvers. Their team definitely didn't have such financial power.

"If you can refuse, then just refuse. However, if your friends really are determined to go, then there's no helping it. In any case, it's only twenty percent experience, nothing more."

"Nie Yan, is what you said true?" Yao Yao furrowed her beautiful brows and asked with concern.

Nie Yan nodded his head and swam over to a nearby Water Spider that was off to his side.

Yao Yao's intuition told her Nie Yan's words were credible, yet she was still quite puzzled. How did Nie Yan know about this information? Could it be… Had he already been to the Treant Forest before? Even if he did go there previously, it was still impossible for him to obtain such accurate data so quickly.

"I've finished my quest, so I should get going. Today was quite enjoyable. Training together with you was very fun. Nie Yan (Nirvana Flame), how about we add each other as friends? So in the future, I can contact you again," Yao Yao said. In her heart, she felt a little reluctant to part. Nie Yan was the very first friend of the opposite gender she felt happy being around with. Of course, her intentions were for them to be within the boundaries of friends and nothing more.

"Sure," Nie Yan responded, and added Yao Yao to his friend list.

"I'll be leaving first then. Bye bye!" Yao Yao said while waving her hand in farewell.

The figure of Yao Yao's back became increasingly distant.

Once Yao Yao left, Nie Yan felt a bit of melancholy. However, very soon, he adjusted his mood and continued to kill Water Spiders.

One after another, spiders continuously fell at the hand of Nie Yan's dagger.

He looked at the time—still three hours until the game closed.「Pururu! Pururu! Pururu!」Nie Yan received a voice notification.

"Expert, it's me," Stone said via a voice message.

"What do you want?" Nie Yan replied back.

"I have a friend who wants to meet you."

"I've been very busy lately. I don't have the time."

"My friend said he's willing to pay the two silvers required to obtain the guide for the Fallen Shaman camp."

"Did your team get wiped out by the wooden fences there?" Nie Yan asked. That area was an extremely difficult hurdle. If you didn't know the trick to get through, then passing was extremely difficult.

"H-how'd you know?" Stone asked in surprise. Nie Yan had guessed correctly. He became more certain—Nie Yan had definitely beaten the Fallen Shaman camp in the past.

"Of course, I know. You guys want the Fallen Shaman Camp guide? That's fine. First send the money over to my personal storage."

A personal storage was the same as an account. Players themselves were free to access their own storage. They were even allowed to send money and items to another player's storage, but they were not allowed to take anything out.

"This… I'll have to ask first," Stone said. It was evident he wasn't the one making the decisions. After a moment, he sent another voice message to Nie Yan. "My friend said we're able to send one silver in advance as a down payment. If your guide truly is effective, then we'll send the other half of the payment."

Nie Yan thought for a moment and said, "Alright, that's fine." Due to Nie Yan having hit the mark several times on the things he spoke of, the other party was willing to do this trade. However, by paying first, they were taking on a huge risk. If by chance Nie Yan was actually a swindler, it would be the same as if they flushed their money down the toilet. Thus, they chose to send the first half as a down payment.

 **「 _System: Player Flying Stone has deposited one silver into your personal storage._** **」**

"The money… I've already sent it," Stone messaged again. He was a little bit nervous. If Nie Yan really was a scammer, then their one silver would completely go to waste.

"The first hurdle you'll face is by the wooden fences. There are seven Fallen Shamans in that area. Don't send your Warriors to tank. At Level 5 and under, they'll be completely unable to resist a volley from seven Fallen Shamans attacking together. Instead, send your Thief over to the willow tree outside the fence and station them there. Tell them to use their bow or crossbow to shoot at the Fallen Shamans to the left. Remember carefully; there cannot be any mistakes in where you shoot. Only then will you be able to draw out three Fallen Shamans and kill them. After you've gotten rid of them, the remaining four should be much easier to deal with. The second important location is off to the side of the altar; there's a Fallen Shaman Priest located there. When facing him, if you're not careful you'll end up aggroing the Fallen Shaman Leader as well. Once every five minutes, the Fallen Shaman Priest will start walking around. Wait until it walks past the altar and arrives next to the obelisk. Then, have your Fighter draw it outside to about five or six meters away, where you'll surround and kill it. Afterwards, you'll be able to kill the Fallen Shaman Leader. If you still have any problems, just send me a message," Nie Yan said. This was taking another's money to help them avoid disaster. In any case, it was just a small instance. Very soon, someone would come along and beat it. So it was quite good that he managed to exchange some information for a bit of spending money. What's more, it was two entire silvers.

"That's all…?" Stone asked in a daze.

"That's all."

Just this little bit of information was worth two silvers. Nie Yan had earned this money a bit _too_ easily.

However, this method for overcoming the hurdles was summed from the experiences of countless players. An average team needed to go through this instance at least several times before they could get a feel for it. In that perspective, perhaps the guide wasn't that expensive after all.


	13. Chapter 13 – Golden Electric Eel

**Chapter 13 – Golden Electric Eel**

* * *

 _Kalore City transfer point._

At present, a group consisting of twenty or so players were gathered together in a heated discussion.

"I definitely think that guy's a swindler. How could he possibly know the strategy for the Fallen Shaman Camp!?"

"That person shouldn't be a swindler. Otherwise, how was he able to correctly guess where our party was wiped? Only by having a deep understanding of this instance, could he have known where we would fall apart."

Everyone had differing opinions. Hence, it was very hard for them to come to a conclusion.

"Stone, what's up? Has he said anything?" asked a Warrior on the side. He was Sleepy Fox, the captain of the team.

Stone then proceeded to pass Nie Yan's words on to them.

A Priest pondered to himself for a while, before looking at his teammates and asking, "Do you guys think his words are trustworthy?"

"Hard to say…." replied a teammate beside him. The several hurdles they had to pass in the Fallen Shaman Camp were too difficult for them. It was to the extent that they had all been wiped out before even having a chance to encounter the Fallen Shaman Priest.

"We can't say for sure whether or not this Nie Yan (Nirvana Flame) has already beaten the Fallen Shaman Camp with a team."

"He really is an expert. Remember the area where I was farming, near the Fallen Shaman Camp? It was he who had told me about it. He said that he used to have a Warrior account in the past, but he deleted it and made a new Thief account. I have a feeling his old Warrior account was around Level 4 at the very least. If not, how could he know so much?" Flying Stone said as he argued in Nie Yan's defense. In regards to Nie Yan's words, Stone held a firm belief in him.

"So we're gonna try his method then?"

"Everyone! Begin your preparations. We'll be setting off in ten minutes," the Priest called out as he came to a decision.

"Big Brother Fox, are we actually going?" another Mage asked.

"I believe his words hold some degree of credibility. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so knowledgeable of the Fallen Shaman instance. Let's give it a try. If that person ends up being a swindler, then I'll make him pay the price," said Sleepy Fox in a confident manner. Truth or lie, he was still able to distinguish the two. If it weren't for them getting wiped at the instance prior to this, he wouldn't have allowed Stone to contact Nie Yan for help.

* * *

Nie Yan was still killing Water Spiders and gathering Fine Silk. The whole process was rather mundane and boring.

He was in the middle of fighting against a Water Spider; one that was already on the verge of being defeated.「Hiss! Eee!」The spider let out an intense high-pitched cry.

In the distance, six Water Spiders were alerted by the noise. Their movements showed that they were heading to flank Nie Yan.

Simultaneously dealing with two spiders was his limit. Any more, and he had absolutely no chance of winning.

Nie Yan leapt forward. With a single Vital Strike, the lone Water Spider that had been surviving on low health was killed. As the spider fell, a single copper dropped from its corpse and floated into Nie Yan's hand. By that time, the six charging Water Spiders had already neared him.

Without delay, Nie Yan dived into the water below and swam towards the lake floor.

Upon arriving at their destination, the six spiders skittered about on the water's surface as they tried to find traces of Nie Yan.

However, Nie Yan continued to swim a fair distance away. After about a minute, he felt himself start to suffocate. He turned his head and looked up to the surface of the water. Unexpectedly, the amount of spiders roaming around his location had increased in number. If he were to go up at this moment, he would certainly die.

For the sake of not drowning, Nie Yan had no choice but to activate the underwater breathing ability of the Water Aversion Pearl. He prepared to resurface after finding an area with fewer Water Spiders.

A ray of light was cast down upon the lake, illuminating its serene depths. Near the lake floor, Nie Yan's eyes noticed a faint flash of golden light. His heart skipped a beat. _This… it couldn't be some kind of treasure, right?_

 _In any case, the duration of the Water Aversion Pearl's ability is pretty long._ Nie Yan continued his descent, diving deeper into the depths of the lake.

It was deep to the extent that one could not see the bottom, and the deeper he dove, the greater the pressure he felt bearing down on his body.

Strange rock formations were clustered around the surrounding lake floor. Between these rocks were dim narrow passages where one's field of view would only extend to about two meters.

Nie Yan was able to see a few Black Iron Crystals and other types of ores covering the tops of these rocks. It was a pity he didn't have the Mining skill. Thus, he could only leave them be.

A stream of cold water flowed between the strange rocks, battering Nie Yan's body and causing him to feel a cold chill.

Suddenly, a huge gold-coloured eel came out from the rocks and swam pass Nie Yan's side.

The sudden appearance caused Nie Yan to jump out in fright. When he was finally able to see it clearly, he discovered that it was a Golden Electric Eel!

Just a while ago, that golden flash of light he had seen from above was actually this eel!

The Golden Electric Eel was a type of rare monster that ranged from Level 0 to 20. Their temperaments were gentle and docile, so they never attacked the player first. However, if a player attacked them first, they would retaliate by using the back of their tails to release an intense electric shock. In the water, this was a powerful killing move.

Though, Golden Electric Eels would normally drop some good equipment when killed. At the very least, it would be Bronze-grade.

 **Golden Electric Eel: Level 0** **  
** **Health 80/80**

Fortunately, it was only a Level 0 Golden Electric Eel. If the level were a little higher, Nie Yan basically wouldn't stand a chance.

Nie Yan swam beside the eel and followed it closely. He was trying to find weaknesses as he observed its three-meter long body.

The eel didn't seem to mind Nie Yan's existence in the slightest. To the point where it even swam a few laps around his body.

It had been reported that the Golden Electric eel's weak point was its neck. Nie Yan swam over to check and discovered red-coloured scales covering its neck.

 _That's the Golden Electric Eel's weak point!_

Nie Yan swam with the Golden Electric Eel until they finally reached a narrow crevice between the rocks. Raising his dagger, he swiftly stabbed towards the eel. Dark red blood gushed forth as Nie Yan activated Assassinate while the dagger entered the eel's neck.

 **−11**

The Golden Electric Eel never expected that the player beside it would attack. It struggled violently, wanting to break free from its attacker.

Nie Yan firmly held onto the eel. However, its entire body was covered in a slippery mucus—making it very difficult to hold onto.

The Golden Electric Eel swung its tail and a powerful electric shock bombarded Nie Yan's body.

 **−32**

When the electric current struck, it felt as if ten thousand ants were stinging him all at once. He was unable to move as he felt his whole body go numb.

 _The Golden Electric Eel's attacks have a paralysis effect!_

In his absentmindedness, Nie Yan noticed that the Golden Electric Eel was trying to escape. Once again—with dagger in hand—he stabbed into the eel's body. The dagger was imbedded near the eel's spine.

He tenaciously held onto his dagger.

The Golden Electric Eel swam forward, dragging Nie Yan with it. Once again, another electric shock blasted his body, causing a damage value of twenty-three to float above his head.

Golden Electric Eels were a special class of monster. They were even a bit stronger than Leader monsters. If the Eel's level had been just a little higher, then Nie Yan would have already lost his life a long time ago.

Feeling himself almost lose consciousness, Nie Yan forcefully shook himself awake.

The eel swam at an extremely fast pace as it moved through the narrow crevices between the rocks. Blood kept gushing forth from its wounds, dying the surrounding water red.

After a while had passed, the Golden Electric Eel once again let loose an electric shock, battering Nie Yan's body and dealing sixteen damage.

The amount of electricity within the Golden Electric Eel's body was limited. Consequently, the more times it released an electric shock, the weaker its power would become.

The eel dragged its attacker along, unceasingly attacking him as it swam about for five or six minutes. Nie Yan's health continued to drop until he was left with only twenty-three health remaining. With great strain, he managed to use a Basic Health Potion.

The repeated electrical shocks had paralyzed his whole body. Even making the slightest of movements was incredibly difficult.

After finally becoming exhausted, the Golden Electric Eel stopped. Nie Yan quickly seized this opportunity. Using the dagger in his hand, he activated Vital Strike and stabbed into its neck.

The Golden Electric Eel continued to struggle by wrapping itself tightly around Nie Yan. He felt himself start to suffocate with the eel completely coiled around his body.

 **−5, −5, −5** One by one, these damage numbers floated above Nie Yan's head; his health had only fifteen percent remaining.

Seeing his health continuously drop lower and lower, Nie Yan quickened his attacks. The dagger in his hand unceasingly stabbed at the eel's neck.

 **−8, −8, −8** The Golden Electric Eel's health appeared to have finally reached zero. It gradually loosened its coil, then flipped over and revealed its white belly.

Nie Yan finally broke free from the eel's hold. Using his right hand, he caught a piece of equipment that the eel had dropped—a pair of gloves.

 **Soft Leather Gloves (Bronze)** **  
** **Properties: Unidentified**

 _A Level 0 Golden Electric Eel should drop Level 0 equipment._ _As for the properties, I still need to go back to the city to get it appraised. However, since it's leather equipment, a Thief can definitely use it._

Nie Yan placed the Soft Leather Gloves in his bagspace. Gradually, the paralysis effect on his body wore off. He also didn't know where the Golden Electric Eel had dragged him off to, so Nie Yan began swimming towards the surface.

As he swam through the dark narrow crevices between the rocks, Nie Yan discovered a small plant in the distance. It danced and fluttered about as it followed the movements of the currents, lying firmly planted atop the rock.

This small plant was half an inch in length, with three tile-shaped green leaves that were as soft as silk.

 _Looking at its features… this should be Waterscale Grass!_

Nie Yan's eyelids jumped. There were six recipes for creating mana potions. Among these recipes, Waterscale Grass was the main ingredient out of the raw materials required to make them. Generally, the lowest tier of Mana Potion was worth around thirty coppers. Therefore, this Waterscale Grass—as the main ingredient—would be valued at around twenty coppers.

Not far from where the Waterscale Grass was located, two red-coloured water snakes emerged.

 **Flowerscale Water Snake: Level 3** **  
** **Health: 100/100**

Nie Yan lingered by the side for a moment, waiting for the water snakes to swim away. Only after they moved away, did he swim over to the area where the Waterscale Grass was growing. The plant resembled a gecko as it sat firmly atop a rock. Nie Yan finally plucked it and placed it in his bag.

 _This ought to be an area where Waterscale Grass grows._ Nie Yan began searching around the area, eventually finding two more Waterscale Grasses. _Heh… pretty good harvest._

Nie Yan swam up towards the surface until his figure broke through the water. Spending such a long time within that dark underwater environment was truly oppressive. At last, he could breathe a sigh of relief.

His location was still within the Water Spider's territory. So, Nie Yan continued farming Water Spiders. By the time the game servers were about to shut down, Nie Yan had managed to pick up a Paladin skill book—Divine Light Slash. This was one of the beginner skills for a Paladin. At the moment, its price should be about thirty coppers.

His luck wasn't bad. The drop rate for the Divine Light Slash skill book didn't exceed one in ten thousand. Some people could end up killing Water Spiders for several days, and they still wouldn't find this skill book.

 **「 _System: The servers will be shutting down in three minutes. We request that all players prepare to go offline._** **」**

Nie Yan found an area that seemed safer than others and concealed himself within. After three minutes passed, his vision went dark.

By the time he logged off the game, it was already nine in the morning. A new day had begun, and people were getting ready for work. Due to the implementation of a three hour work day—one hour of work in the morning and two in the afternoon—their schedules were fairly relaxed. Students, on the other hand, were beginning the day's summer recreation.

After finishing breakfast, Nie Yan began to exercise. His old man—having a military background—had harsh and strict expectations for Nie Yan. Thus, his foundations were pretty good. Back then, he persisted for two years in tempering his body for the sake of assassinating Cao Xu. He employed special forces training that he had gotten from the internet. The training methods were extraordinarily abnormal. Due to being too old at the time, he missed the optimum period of time to train his body. Thus, the results weren't that amazing. However, he still had the ability to easily knock out two or three grown men.

When referring to two or three grown men, Nie Yan was referring to adults who had at least some training. The increasing productivity had liberated people from the toils of hard labour. Thus, the modern man placed an increasing importance on elite—martial and intellectual—education. Beside the core academic courses, electives such as kickboxing, taekwondo, and boxing could also be taken. Since people studied martial arts from a young age, everyone's physical fitness was pretty decent. At the very least, they would know a few martial arts techniques. Today, there was a never-waning abundance of huge martial arts tournaments of all kinds. Speaking precisely, the present society is one that promotes the martial spirit.

He didn't have any equipment at home, so he could only do a few basic exercises. In the future when his family would have more money, he could buy equipment and body enhancing medicines; the effects would be much more distinct.

He exercised for an hour and did twenty minutes of martial arts training. Afterwards, Nie Yan began to review his schoolwork. In this day and age, making use of one's knowledge was of the utmost importance, and the knowledge contained in textbooks covered just about everything. Starting from small—such as simple physics and chemistry—to the large—such as manufacturing polymers, aircrafts, small scale nuclear batteries, etc… all of these were covered. If he managed to put all of the knowledge within these textbooks to use, let alone manufacturing aircrafts, even constructing a mecha wouldn't be a problem at all.

People in this age—with advancements of bio-electric stimulation in medicine—had an average IQ of a hundred and sixty or higher. On the higher end, a person's IQ was even capable of reaching two hundred and sixty. However, throughout their wholes lives, these people would still be completely unable to master all of the accumulated knowledge left behind by their predecessors.

During high school, scoring fifty or sixty percent on a test paper could already be considered not bad. There wasn't a failing grade in these tests. However, every test mark would be recorded and entered into an individual's overall evaluation.

Nie Yan—when he was in his first and second year of high school—was ranked among the top three in terms of academics. However, after he transferred from his school to a high-class one in the city, his achievements could only be ranked at the bottom. In this world, perhaps you could do plenty of things if you had money. However, knowledge is what secured a person's position indefinitely. Perhaps Nie Yan's father, using his money, could pave a future of brilliant prospects for him. Though, whether or not he was able to walk down this path… Nie Yan was still required to rely on himself.


	14. Chapter 14 – Best Friend

**Chapter 14 – Close Friends**

* * *

Nie Yan studied for an hour, then went back to training. Whenever he was hungry, he would take out a portioned tube of nutrition tonic from the fridge and then go back to studying. He continued this cycle of studying, training, and eating until one o'clock in the afternoon.

「Ring! Ring!」The phone in Nie Yan's home rang out.

"Hello. May I ask who this is?" Nie Yan picked up the phone and asked.

"Nie Yan! How about we go out and play? I'm almost suffocating to death by staying at home."

The voice Nie Yan had just heard belonged to Tang Yao. The pages in his memories once again began turning. Tang Yao was his best friend—the two had known each other since they were in diapers. Though Tang Yao's family eventually became quite wealthy, and they moved away to the city. However, their family ended up purchasing a villa near this town. So every summer, he would come over to visit and stay for a while.

Tang Yao, this person was an especially loyal friend. In Nie Yan's previous life, when he had become very poor, it was Tang Yao who braved the risks of being discovered by Cao Xu and secretly provided financial support to him. This allowed him to pass those harsh days much more easily.

However, Tang Yao had one fatal weakness; he loved frequenting bars and womanizing. One time while drinking at a bar, he got into a fight with another man over a woman and ended up being beaten to death by that person. Due to the other side's background being too great, the case was left unsettled.

 _Tang Yao, you're still alive! This is great. In this lifetime, I will definitely not let that sort of thing happen again._

All of a sudden, tears began gushing forth and pouring out of Nie Yan's eyes.

"Hello? Nie Yan, don't just die on me. Say something."

"Where are we going?" Nie Yan asked after restraining his emotions.

"Let's go to the PK bar. Are you interested? Recently, this Conviction game has been really popular. Have you play it yet?"

"I've been playing. I'm a Level 2 Tempest Thief," Nie Yan replied. The PK bar is a gaming and entertainment club where players can transfer their characters from the game and compete with other players in various scenarios. This type of duel wouldn't raise a player's level, nor would it affect their progress in the game. Only occasionally were players able to win one or two pieces of equipment through gambling with other players.

"Not bad at all! You've already risen to Level 2. When did you buy a game helmet?" Tang Yao asked, somewhat astonished. He remembered Nie Yan's family was not well-off at all.

"I've had it for some time now."

"Let's head out then. We'll have a stroll over to the PK Lounge. I have a Level 3 Arcane Mage by the way," Tang Yao flauntingly said in a somewhat proud tone.

Nie Yan faintly smiled. Eighteen- to nineteen-year-old kids all want to show off even the smallest accomplishments. Naturally, this was human nature. However, Nie Yan had already long passed that age.

At the current stage, anyone who was able to rise to Level 3 was a decently skilled player. Such players were in the top ten percent of the player base. However, Nie Yan knew that Tang Yao's skills were still a bit lacking if he wanted to go to the PK Lounge. The number of experts at the lounge were not few. It was a place where all sorts of experts gathered.

"Us going there to play is fine. However, it's best if you don't gamble," Nie Yan said. From his memories, Tang Yao loved to gamble, yet he would never win—not even once. This never dissuaded him, however, and he continued to enjoy it. Luckily, the amount of pocket money Tang Yao had wasn't very much, so losing wasn't that big of a deal. With the current teachings, the head of the family wouldn't give their child too much money. This was to avoid having that child form bad habits and become a good for nothing in the future.

"Since when did you become such a naggy old lady? Hurry up, I'm heading downstairs."

"Alright then," Nie Yan reluctantly replied with a hint of helplessness in his voice. He understood Tang Yao's character. Preventing him from gambling was definitely impossible. Nie Yan only wished to remind him to show a little restraint while he was by Tang Yao's side.

In his past life, there was a time when he didn't go with Tang Yao because he had fallen ill and didn't feel well. He heard that during that time Tang Yao had lost over three thousand credits.

Nie Yan washed up his sweaty body, changed his clothes, and headed downstairs.

"That brat, why is he still dawdling around?"

By the time Nie Yan came downstairs, Tang Yao had already arrived in his hover-car and parked next to Nie Yan's house.

Nie Yan pushed down the emotions stirring within his heart. He hadn't seen his friend in ages. The current Tang Yao was still the simple short little fatty he remembered. He and Nie Yan were of the same stature; it wasn't until their third year of high school that they would grow in height. The handsome and confident Tang Yao from that time was entirely different from the one currently before him.

"I was taking a shower."

"Get in the car! Hurry up! It wasn't easy slipping away, and when I get home my old man's gonna call me to help him out with his work again," Tang Yao urged.

Nie Yan opened the car door and got in.

"We haven't seen each other in nearly a year, huh? You brat, you still haven't grown at all."

"You're the same too," Nie Yan said with a smile. This type of close and familiar feeling came back to him again. _Tang Yao, it's been almost three years since we've last met…_

"I lost over a thousand at the PK Lounge yesterday. Now this Young Master is burning with anger. I definitely have to beat those several brats until they only have their underwear left," Tang Yao hatefully said. He stepped on the gas pedal, and the hover car shot forward as if it were an arrow.

"Those guys, were they Wei Kai's group?" Nie Yan recalled. He remembered those several people were the neighbourhood bullies. When he was still going to school in this area, he was bullied a lot by them.

"It was exactly them. Yesterday I wanted to vent out some anger towards them in your place," Tang Yao gloomily said.

In Tang Yao's mind, Nie Yan had always been very cowardly and timid—the type who didn't dare to utter a word when they were bullied. Thus, Tang Yao was always very protective of him. However, he was unaware that the present Nie Yan was no longer the previous weak and afraid person he once knew.

"Yo! You've arrived Young Master Tang, and just on time." An eighteen to nineteen-year-old youth came walking forward. He was dark-skinned, with a skinny build. The clothing on his body looked like it hadn't been washed in several days. Once he spoke, he gave off a delinquent type of feeling.

His name was Wei Kai. Due to his dark skin—a shade that would make him seem invisible during the night—Nie Yan and Tang Yao had once wondered if he were of African descent. Secretly, they started only referring to him as "Black Person." A nickname which ended up spreading later on. This caused Wei Kai to direct his hate towards both Nie Yan and Tang Yao. However, he was still a little afraid of Tang Yao, as Tang Yao's father was the CEO of Linzhou Airline—someone he couldn't afford to offend. Consequently, from time to time, he would look for Nie Yan to start trouble with instead.

There were also five others following behind him, though they were a bit younger. They were all a part of his group.

"Oh, this brat Nie Yan also came. Tsk, tsk. He still hasn't learned enough of a lesson from last time."

Those several brats grinned maliciously as they stared at Nie Yan.

In his previous life, Nie Yan heard that Wei Kai caused some trouble and was exiled to another planet. Afterwards, there was no more word of him. The current Nie Yan, after reincarnating, could barely be bothered to keep these few delinquents in his mind. Regarding the bullying he received back then, what meaning was there for him to collect his debts now?

"No need to worry, you have me here with you. They won't dare do anything to you." Tang Yao spoke in a low voice and attempted to comfort Nie Yan.

Nie Yan nodded his head.

Tang Yao couldn't help but look at Nie Yan. The latter seemed especially calm today. _This brat. Looks like he finally gained some courage._

"Less bullshit. Did you bring the money?" Tang Yao said to Wei Kai.

"No worries, I brought two thousand. However, you'll be the one paying for our entry fee today." Wei Kai took out a bank card, shaking it in his hand.

"Only a hundred or so credits and you're making such a hassle about it." Tang Yao slanted his lips in disdain as ruthless words came out of his mouth.

"I'm not like Young Master Tang right here who's so well-off with money. Our little group of commoners has no choice but to bother about this small amount of money," Wei Kai smilingly replied without the slightest bit of anger.

From an adult's perspective, Nie Yan reexamined Wei Kai. He discovered Wei Kai, although simply a delinquent, still carried an air of shrewdness about him. There were many people like Wei Kai, fumbling through society, gaining a lot of knowledge and experience along the way.

"God damn. Isn't it just him having a rich old man? What's so amazing about that?"

The several youngsters behind Wei Kai couldn't bear Tang Yao anymore, and began cursing at him one after another.

Tang Yao treated his friends very well. The reason his words were so unkind today was most likely because of Wei Kai and his group frequently bullying Nie Yan.

Tang Yao ignored those several youngsters and walked up to the counter. He took out two hundred credits, placed them on the reception desk and then said, "Boss, open up a private room for us. No need to return the change. Also, have the attendants send some drinks over. No coke please."

"Room number six. This is the card for your room." The manager handed over a card to Tang Yao as he spoke.

"Please. You lead the way, Young Master Tang," Wei Kai said while laughing. Then briefly, he swept his gaze towards Nie Yan. Their eyes locked, as they met face to face. Nie Yan stared back at him calmly.

Wei Kai was mildly surprised. Today, Nie Yan appeared to be distinctly different than how he was in the past. Previously, whenever Nie Yan met him, he would be timid and afraid. Yet today, he was unusually calm.

The group of people went over to room number six.

Nie Yan and the rest entered the room. The interior was separated into two areas. Each area had five platforms with recliners and machines. Players could hold 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 battles. If they wanted to hold larger team battles, they were required to rent out a larger room.

Nie Yan and Tang Yao entered one area and closed the door. Their area and Wei Kai's were separated by a glass wall.

"What level is Wei Kai?" Nie Yan asked Tang Yao.

"A Level 3 Berserker," Tang Yao replied. Yesterday they had fought ten matches, and Tang Yao only won three of them. After he returned home, he had his father's underling find him an Arcane Blast skill book, as well as a Bronze-grade mage robe which he exchanged for his own. He was well prepared to beat Wei Kai in a few matches, and thoroughly return all the losses he had received yesterday.

Ten matches. The prize for every match was two hundred.

"What skills do you have?" Nie Yan asked. For good or bad, Nie Yan had played Conviction for many years. Even if you've never eaten pork, you'd still be able to recognize a pig. So although he never played Arcane Mage before, he had faced them countless times in battle. As such, he somewhat understood their abilities.

"Arcane Missiles, Arcane Fireball, Arcane Blaze, Arcane Blast, and Magic Return." Tang Yao spoke without thinking. He never considered Nie Yan to know a lot about Conviction, as he had already trained up to Level 3, while Nie Yan was only Level 2.

"What's your health and mana?"

"One hundred and twenty health, and one hundred and fifty mana," Tang Yao replied. His equipment could be considered decent for a Level 3 Arcane Mage.

"Has Wei Kai learned Provoke yet?" Nie Yan asked. He was really confused. With this set of skills, just how did Tang Yao manage to lose in his previous life?

"He's learned it."

"No wonder." Nie Yan suddenly understood. After a Berserker learns Provoke, if they were able to use the skill well, they could easily suppress an Arcane Mage.

"It's about to begin," Tang Yao said as he put on his game helmet.

Tang Yao was most likely going to lose. Nie Yan thought for a bit. He would continue observing for a while more. If Tang Yao started losing badly, then he would make a move.

They swiped their IDs over the machine and then put on their game helmets. The machines here would automatically extract the player's character information from Conviction and duplicate it. They were able to conduct battles here, and since the data was only a copy, it would have no relation with Conviction.

Everyone entered the game. Nie Yan and those five youngsters were placed in an auditorium, and the arena chosen was random. It appeared the first one would be in the mountains.

The mountainous terrain was especially advantageous for Arcane Mages.

Tang Yao and Wei Kai both finished their preparations. Following the sound of a system prompt, the two began the battle.

"Hey, brat. Long time no see. A Level 2 Tempest Thief huh, not bad. Are you interested in having a match?" The one who spoke was one of the boys from Wei Kai's group. Nie Yan faintly remembered that this guy's name was Shi Feng (Stone Mountain).

 _A Level 2 Battle Thief!_

There was an essential difference between Battle Thieves and Tempest Thieves. Battle Thieves had a more elegant title called Knight-errants. They were the same as Tempest Thieves in that they both had the Stealth skill. However, when fighting, they placed a greater emphasis on combat. Usually, they used weapons such as daggers and had decent close combat abilities.

The properties of classes are all unique. There was no division of strongest and weakest classes. Conviction had no weak classes—only weak players.

Nie Yan shot a glance at Shi Feng and said with indifference, "You're still unworthy. Picking such a skilless class like a Knight-errant, you have poor tastes."

"Seems you're missing a beating. Do you believe this grandfather won't give you one once we leave the game?" Shi Feng cursed back at him. He didn't expect that Nie Yan—who had always been a yes-man—would dare to speak rudely to him.

Nie Yan raised his eyebrow. They were just a few brats, nothing more. What did he have to fear? Even though his current body's health was a little weak—to the point where it was poles apart from his previous peak condition—by relying on his fighting skills, he would be able to deal with these kids who had barely reached adulthood, and still have energy left to spare. These good-for-nothings were a level inferior to Wei Kai. They were still a bunch of students, yet they dressed like delinquents and poured obscenities out of their mouths—thinking of themselves as gangsters. They were very childish. Though, in reality, being a gangster was also a type of class that required skill to make a living.

"If you have the guts, then come out and fight me next match."

"Only one match? The stakes for this gamble are too small. I'm not that interested," Nie Yan said. Wasn't it too simple of a task to take care of Shi Feng?

"The brat's grown up, huh? I have three hundred here on me. Let's have a match. How about it?" Shi Feng took out a bank card. _Nie Yan, this brat's becoming more and more courageous. If I don't teach him a lesson, he truly won't know how high the heavens are and how thick the earth is._

"I'll only play one game. I've got seven hundred." Nie Yan brought out his bank card. He swiped it to show the amount of money in the card was seven hundred credits. This amount of money—to the eighteen-year-old Nie Yan—was an amazingly huge sum of money.

"Any of you guys have money? Lend me a few hundred." Shi Feng turned his head and spoke to the friends beside him.

"I've got two hundred."

"I've got a hundred."

"I've also got a hundred."

After borrowing four hundred, Shi Feng finally had seven hundred credits. He hung out with Wei Kai, but after all, he was still a delinquent and never had much money on him.

Nie Yan glanced at Tang Yao and Wei Kai's battle. In the mountainous terrain, Wei Kai wasn't able to fully display his Berserker's abilities, and the match was won by Tang Yao. The next match was in open plains. Tang Yao would likely lose this one.

"Let's go then." Nie Yan withdrew his glance, then spoke to Shi Feng.

The scenery of the two people switched over. Soon, they appeared in a jungle. Thick vegetation surrounded them everywhere, and the two were separated by about fifty meters.

"Little brat. Watch this grandpa teach you how to respect others."

Nie Yan faintly laughed. He didn't even bother having a verbal showdown with Shi Feng.

Shi Feng muttered, whispering to himself, "Why is Nie Yan giving off a feeling that would make others feel unsettled today?"

 **「 _System: Match start!_ 」** **  
**

Nie Yan and Shi Feng both activated Stealth.

Stealth didn't equal invisibility. When a Thief entered stealth, their body would melt into the background. If one didn't observe carefully, it was really hard to detect. However, if one concentrated their attention, they could still make out the flaws in the camouflage.

Stealth was based on a Thief's Dexterity and their ability to hide themselves. Being discovered would depend on the other player's eyesight.

At this time, the two were approaching each other. Nie Yan's footsteps were light and gentle. If he came across leaves and branches, he would carefully move around them. He left no footprints behind. After playing Thief for so many years, if he were to be discovered by a novice like Shi Feng, he'd be losing too much face. Nie Yan's eyes moved like electricity as he scanned the area. On a branch in the far distance, there was a trace of unusual movement. Focusing his gaze, he was able to distinctly make out the vague figure of a person. He had quickly discovered his opponent's position.

Shi Feng was moving about slowly and cautiously, carefully paying attention to his surroundings. However, to him, it seemed as if Nie Yan had disappeared completely. Shi Feng couldn't find any traces of him whatsoever.

A Thief's ability to conceal themselves was very closely related to their surroundings. The more complex the background, the easier it would be to find them. However, if the background were simple and only had one colour, even if the enemy carefully observed, it would be very hard to discover them.

Just like a stick insect sticking to bamboo, they would completely melt into the background. Even if a predator came up close to it, they would still be unable to discover anything.

Stealth's effectiveness was also greatly related to a player's ability to control their movements. While in stealth, the route and pace you walked in were all things that required very careful attention.

For Nie Yan, he basically didn't need to conceal himself in such a meticulous manner. The motions of concealing himself had become instinctive to him. These movements had long penetrated through the core of his being, down to the bone marrow.

After ten years playing as a Thief, even an idiot would still turn into an expert, let alone Nie Yan—whose comprehension abilities could already be regarded as quite decent.


	15. Chapter 15 – Viewed in a New Light

**Chapter 15 – Viewed in a New Light**

* * *

Shi Feng brushed Nie Yan's side. Though, unexpectedly, he had moved past without noticing his opponent.

"Dammit… Where is that brat?" Shi Feng muttered under his breath. He had yet to realize that he had already been exposed.

Nie Yan trailed behind Shi Feng, following him closely. His gaze was focused on the area around Shi Feng's back.

The dagger in Nie Yan's right hand resembled lightning as it swiftly stabbed towards the back of his unsuspecting victim.

By the time Shi Feng felt something wasn't right, it was too late. Nie Yan's dagger had already arrived, penetrating deeply into Shi Feng's back.

「Shlink! Splurt!」The dagger easily cut into him, dealing thirty-one points of damage to Shi Feng. Evidently, his defense stat wasn't very high.

One attacked, and the other was being attacked. Immediately, the effects of Stealth for both players disappeared simultaneously.

Having finally discovered his assailant, Shi Feng turned around and retaliated. He slashed back at Nie Yan, sweeping his dagger in a wide arc.

Shi Feng's dagger seemed to be just a bit short in length. However, that lack in blade length signified a miss as his dagger passed by Nie Yan.

"Vital Strike!"

Nie Yan's dagger seemed to carry a cold glint as it streaked through the air, slitting Shi Feng's throat.

 **「 _System: Vital Strike successful! Attack +5%, resulting in additional damage dealt!_ 」**

In one fell swoop, the seventy-nine health Shi Feng had remaining was instantly depleted. His eyes were filled with disbelief as if he had seen a ghost.「Thud.」His body collapsed onto the jungle floor.

The entire course of events had taken place in merely a few seconds. Nie Yan still had full health remaining.

The corner of Nie Yan's mouth faintly curved into a sneer. He wasn't required to showcase even the least of his abilities to deal with this novice Level 2 Knight-errant.

Both of them were returned to the auditorium at the same time.

"Shi Feng, what the hell happened?"

"Just how… how did it end so quickly…?"

The several youths encircled Shi Feng and began asking questions. On the video screen, they saw the figures of both Nie Yan and Shi Feng in combat after they had come out of stealth. In that fleeting moment, they were basically unable to clearly see, nor understand, what had occurred near the end. Within the blink of an eye—in simply a few exchanges—Shi Feng had already collapsed on the ground.

"His movements were really fast." Shi Feng recalled their earlier exchange. Nie Yan had only made a few simple movements, yet his speed was simply unbelievable. Moreover, Nie Yan had killed him in two strikes; one of them hitting him in the vitals. Inside the game, the system would assist a player's movements when executing skills. However, when it came to reaction speed, judgement, and so on, all of them relied on the player's own capabilities. Shi Feng had a hard time imagining what sort of disastrous outcome would occur if the two of them were to end up fighting in real life, especially if Nie Yan had a blade in his hand.

As he stared at that person's figure, Shi Feng recalled all the times they went to him looking for trouble. He remembered how that person would always grin and bear through their humiliation without a hint of resistance. If that same person from the past had always been faking it… now that would be truly too terrifying. As he thought back to that dagger in Nie Yan's hand, Shi Feng felt a cold chill run through his heart.

"I lost." At that moment, Shi Feng didn't dare to refute his defeat. The facts were arranged right before everyone's eyes. Furthermore, he had also lost to Nie Yan's boldness during the fight.

There was no need to fear those who acted arrogant and tyrannical. In reality, their tough appearances were merely poor disguises; Shi Feng was one such person. What people like him feared the most were those who possessed great strength and could endure without ever wavering.

Shi Feng began to think of Fourth Elder Lei who opened a restaurant in Gatehead Village. He truly was an amiable and gentle person. In the past, this area used to have a bunch of gangsters who would frequently go to his place. There they would freeload food and vandalize the restaurant. Fourth Elder Lei had always let them do what they wanted, bearing through their humiliation. There was a time when Shi Feng had gone to his restaurant in order to freeload food with ten or so other people. By chance, they ended up meeting his daughter who had just returned. Fourth Elder Lei had grown into a hunchback, but that daughter of his was actually fairly lively and beautiful. Several of them couldn't resist trying to get their hands on his daughter.

Fourth Elder Lei begged for mercy, but those gangsters wouldn't have it. They started to tear off his daughter's clothes which enraged Fourth Elder Lei. He grabbed his kitchen knife and cut down three of those gangsters—they were instantly killed on the spot. Then, with his knife, he chopped off Boss Yin's arm. Fourth Elder Lei's whole body was covered in blood, yet he remained calm and unperturbed, allowing the customers on the side to call the police. At that time, Shi Feng was so frightened he nearly urinated in his pants.

Since Fourth Elder Lei had acted in self-defense, he was only sentenced to half a year in jail. After that, no one dared to cause trouble at his restaurant, nor lay a hand on his daughter again.

People who could endure silently were the most terrifying. It was because if they were to snap one day, they would reveal their full ferocity—becoming fiercer than anyone else. Remembering the scene of that day, Shi Feng felt his body break out in a cold sweat.

After experiencing something like that, Shi Feng had honestly and properly behaved himself for a while. Afterward, however, he began following Wei Kai's group. After experiencing the fight today, his whole body began to quiver. If they were to bully Nie Yan and push him to the brink one day, would he snap just as Fourth Elder Lei had? Would Nie Yan grab a blade and ruthlessly slash their throats akin to what Shi Feng had just experienced in the game?

"In the future, it'll be better if we don't provoke that guy anymore. He's definitely hard to deal with." Shi Feng warned the several people beside him in a solemn manner.

"Shi Feng! You can't be terrified after losing just one match, can you? From now on, we don't know each other." One of the youths by his side cursed at him. The others around him had also exposed expressions of disdain.

"I'll still pay you guys back the money. As for the loss, it's no big deal anyway," Shi Feng said. He suddenly understood. Although people like them felt good when they often bullied others, there would come a day when all their debts are repaid in full—just like that matter with Fourth Elder Lei. On that day, Boss Yin lost both his arm and his position as the boss. Now he could only make a living by scavenging for trash. As for those three gangsters who were cut down, they couldn't even make a living as they had lost their lives.

"Get out. Scram."

Nie Yan no longer paid attention to Shi Feng and the others. He continued looking at the scene of the match. The competition between Tang Yao and Wei Kai was still in the second round. Since it was on an open field, this time, Tang Yao had lost his advantage. Eventually, he was killed by the slash of Wei Kai wielding his sword.

One after another, the matches continued. After they had finished ten matches, Tang Yao had won two, while Wei Kai had won eight. As a result, Tang Yao lost a thousand and two hundred credits.

"F*ck, Wei Kai that bastard also learned a new skill. This time, it's the Berserker skill, Resist Magic Aura. This beating is truly depressing," Tang Yao said while he fumed with anger. Resist Magic Aura increased the player's magic resistance. A Berserker with this skill was practically the bane of all Mages.

"You know, Resist Magic Aura only decreases your damage by a little bit. When you're PvPing as an Arcane Mage, your movements need to be quick. Secondly, you need to keep your mana expenditure at a stable rate. Third, your reactions have to be fast as well. Furthermore, when you were fighting, your timing for casting spells was incorrect," Nie Yan advised. In terms of strength, Tang Yao's Arcane Mage was stronger than Wei Kai's Berserker by a lot. The reason Tang Yao lost wasn't because Wei Kai was more skilled than him by any means. Rather, it was because Arcane Mages had a higher skill cap. A skilled Arcane Mage could effortlessly toy a Berserker of the same level to death. However, an unskilled Arcane Mage would easily be hacked to death by a Berserker of the same level. Simple professions like Berserkers, which were tanky hack and slashers, didn't require much skill to play at all.

"You brat! I didn't expect that you knew so much," Tang Yao said in admiration. In retrospect, Nie Yan's words made quite some sense.

After pushing open the door, Wei Kai and his group came over from the other side with Shi Feng following from behind. The latter glanced at Nie Yan with a somewhat complicated expression on his face.

"Young Master Tang, it seems that your brother here is growing up more and more. Surprisingly, he even defeated Shi Feng." Wei Kai's narrow and slender eyes glanced over towards Nie Yan. In the past, Nie Yan had always been a well-behaved punching bag. Indeed, it appeared the Nie Yan of today and the Nie Yan from the past just weren't the same. Be it expression or temperament, there was quite a large change in both.

Wei Kai switched the video on the screen over to the time when Nie Yan defeated Shi Feng in their fight. Afterward, he played it back in slow motion. The entire fight had concluded within three seconds. Looking at the screen, Nie Yan's movements and attacks were flawless and watertight.

After watching the video, Tang Yao stared at Nie Yan with an astonished gaze, as if what he had seen was unimaginable. This brother of his, just when had he become so courageous and powerful?

"Just a few moments ago, you had a match with Shi Feng?" Tang Yao was a little dazed. He still didn't dare to believe that person in the video was Nie Yan.

"Just a small match. He was too weak, though," Nie Yan replied in an unrestrained manner, not minding the people near him at all.

Wei Kai gave a meaningful glance, signaling the youth who wore a flower pattern shirt next to him.

This action caught Nie Yan's eye. That person was called Li Yang—Wei Kai's right-hand man.

"Brat! Don't get too conceited. Do you believe I can't beat you down?" Li Yang approached Nie Yan and came at him with a kick. His age was one or two years younger than Nie Yan, however, he was taller and more robust in comparison.

Nie Yan was a little short. Combined with his poor nutrition, he was also very thin and weak.

Nie Yan coldly smiled, then dodged Li Yang's attack. He followed up by kicking Li Yang's supporting leg, stamping on the knee joint. He was no longer the same youth who had been so easily bullied in the past.

His current strength was not one bit inferior to a second grade mixed martial artist. It was just that his body was still weak. However, when it came to dealing with wannabe gangsters like them, he had more than enough energy to spare.

"Ahhhh!" Li Yang let out a miserable shriek as he reeled back, stumbled, and then fell.

That blood-curdling scream sent chills through the hearts of everyone who witnessed this scene.

With this show of force, Shi Feng was reminded of Fourth Elder Lei. At that moment, he felt becoming an obedient student at school would be quite a wonderful and fortunate idea.

"You're courting death!" The several youths behind Wei Kai wanted to charge in and give Nie Yan a painful and thorough beating. However, they were all pulled back by Wei Kai.

Li Yang's prior actions were simply Wei Kai's way of probing Nie Yan. Though admittedly, he was also greatly surprised. Unexpectedly, the timid and cowardly Nie Yan—who was always grinning and bearing through humiliation—actually had this kind of skill. From his experience, he had only seen those kinds of quick movements from a few people. Martial arts wasn't something one could quickly improve in only two or three days. It required long periods of training. Only then would one be able to slowly improve. _Could it be…? Nie Yan's cowardice in the past, was it all just an act?_

 _Why is it that no matter how I look at him, Nie Yan seems completely different today?_

Ignoring Li Yang who was still clutching his leg and screaming on the floor, Wei Kai walked up to Nie Yan and said, "Young Master Nie, are you interested in playing a match?" He had even changed the way he addressed Nie Yan. After drifting through society for so long, he knew which kinds of people he could touch, and which he could not. Nie Yan had just revealed his skill, and completely put Wei Kai in awe.

"There's no harm in playing one or two matches. However, I won't play if the stakes are too small." Inwardly, Nie Yan felt unavoidably shocked—this Wei Kai was quite a character. The criminal bosses of the underworld acted outwardly kind in appearance, but commit evil deeds in secret. In addition, many of them would reveal astonishing talents when they were at a very young age, fostering them as they grew older. In his past life, he heard Wei Kai had actually become pretty well regarded. It was only until later on when he invaded another criminal organization's territory and caused a major event, did he disappear without a trace.

"A thousand a match. I have three thousand," Wei Kai said. He had brought out all the money he had.

"That's too unfair. A Level 3 Berserker facing a Level 2 Tempest Thief, don't you think you're bullying people too much?" Tang Yao said in a dissatisfied manner. There was a difference in level, and it was a heavily armoured Warrior versus a lightly armored Thief. It was obvious which side was superior.

"—Three thousand a match." Nie Yan interrupted Tang Yao's complaints and spoke to Wei Kai.

"Fine. I'll keep you company then," Wei Kai replied. He didn't believe a Level 2 Tempest Thief was capable of turning the tables on him.

"Nie Yan, Have you gone mad!?" Tang Yao anxiously said. A Level 2 Tempest Thief versus a Level 3 Berserker; unless he was a Heaven-defying expert who could bypass the level gap, he would definitely lose this match.

"I only have fourteen hundred on me. Lend me sixteen hundred," Nie Yan said to Tang Yao while laughing.

"God dammit. If you lose, it's whatever. You still have to pay me back, though!" Tang Yao angrily muttered back.

"I'll pay you back," Nie Yan said. Although Tang Yao's old man was wealthy, he still didn't get a lot of pocket money. Not to mention, it would all be earned through working for his dad. In this era, all high-class elites would educate their children in this way, making them earn their own living and become self-reliant.

"Bullshit. If you want to lose, just lose. Who wants you to pay them back anyways." Tang Yao swiped his card, transferring over sixteen hundred credits to Nie Yan.

"Thanks," Nie Yan said. Tang Yao was the type of person who had a sharp tongue, but a soft heart. If Nie Yan lost, Tang Yao definitely wouldn't allow Nie Yan to pay him back those thousand six hundred credits.

In his past life, Nie Yan had received too much of Tang Yao's grace. He had never once thought of letting Nie Yan pay him back. This is what a true brother should be like.

"Pull Li Yang up, we're leaving," Wei Kai said. The group of people headed back to their respective area in the room.

"Nie Yan, that brat! How did he suddenly become capable of fighting? God dammit… it hurts like hell. Next time I'll definitely find some people to beat that shitty brat to death." Li Yang walked over to the sofa and rolled up his pant leg. A large area on his knee was bruised completely black and blue.

"Don't waste your breath, he didn't even use any strength. Otherwise, your leg would've been broken. I want you guys to remember this from now on. No one is to provoke Nie Yan. If you meet him, I want you to hide far away. If any one of you stirs up trouble for me, don't blame me for not being polite!" Wei Kai warned. Their school taught Taekwondo, boxing, and mixed martial arts as academic programs. He was able to make out that the movements Nie Yan had made were standard in mixed martial arts. However, in comparison to the mixed martial arts that was taught in school, his movements were much more fierce and violent. When he took action, every movement would either cause serious, or even fatal, damage. _Just what kind of person is this brat?_

He began to recall Nie Yan's former cowardly and timid manner. _That guy's thoughts are really deep and mysterious. He was actually able to conceal himself for this long._ Wei Kai felt a wave of coldness pour over his heart.

"How can we just let it pass?" Li Yang unwillingly asked.

"So…? What about it? You ask yourself, are you capable of beating him? In the future, properly go to your Taekwondo classes, and you won't lose so miserably next time!" Wei Kai replied.

"Boss, it's about to start." A youth next to him spoke.

Wei Kai put on his helmet.

In the adjacent area, Tang Yao was carefully observing Nie Yan. After a long while, he finally spoke. "Just a moment ago, I was being stupid and forgot to ask. Brat, you're actually not too bad! When did you become so strong!? One move and you had Li Yang knocked down and rolling on the floor!"

"I've been training at home for a while now. It's more than enough to deal with those guys," Nie Yan said. His body's strength really was too weak, otherwise, his power wouldn't be this little. Li Yang and those good for nothings were like a bunch of pillows. Only Wei Kai would be a bit difficult to deal with. Even then, he still wasn't much of an opponent.

"You brat. You've certainly made me look at you in a new light. I'm still suspicious of whether or not you're the same Nie Yan I've known since childhood!" Tang Yao said in quite a good mood.

"It doesn't matter how much I change, you're still going to be my brother!" Nie Yan proclaimed. In his past life, even when he was at the lowest point of his life, Tang Yao still viewed him as a brother. Just as distance would determine the stamina of a horse, time would eventually reveal a person's true nature.

"For the sake of those words, let's properly have a toast when we get back!" Tang Yao said while patting Nie Yan on the shoulder.

"Wei Kai's already waiting inside the game."

"Are you sure you can win?" Tan Yao anxiously asked.

"No worries, just watch and see. What? Could it be you don't believe I'll pay you back that thousand six hundred…?" Nie Yan laughed, joking around with Tang Yao.

"Go have your match. As for money, that kind of thing is useless to me. Even if you lose, it's not like it's the end of the world. Besides, you don't get much of an allowance every month anyways… If you end up losing that fourteen hundred, you'll be eating boiled rice for a whole month, isn't that right?"¹

"Watch as I toy this Level 3 Berserker to death!" Nie Yan said with a confident smile.

"Good man! You're getting wilder and wilder!" Tang Yao laughed.

Two people wore their helmets and entered the game.

When he reemerged, the stage Nie Yan appeared in was an open prairie. There was an endless field of lush green grass. The dense underbrush was tall—roughly reaching up to a person's knees.

 _My luck is pretty bad. Turns out it's a grassland stage,_ thought Nie Yan as he knitted his brows. However, even if he were in the open fields, he still had his tactics. The green background of the grassland served as good camouflage for a Thief to conceal themselves with. The only flaw was that the dense undergrowth on the ground could possibly expose his whereabouts.

"The current stage is an open field. If you think it's unfair, we can switch stages," Wei Kai suggested. There would be a large amount of luck involved if they were only playing a single match. Different terrains suited different professions, and the open prairie suited Warrior professions such as the Berserker—who could freely charge around swinging their swords.

Although Wei Kai was a bully, he surprisingly acted in a magnanimous manner.

"Doesn't matter. If it's an open field, it's an open field." Nie Yan grasped his dagger and entered stealth. His opinion of Wei Kai had actually changed by quite a bit.

A gentle breeze blew past the open prairie, causing the tall grasses to bend in its direction. Gradually, Nie Yan's silhouette faded into the background.

 _He has this much ability?_ Wei Kai felt his heart sink; his expression becoming solemn. He was observing carefully, yet he couldn't find any traces of Nie Yan's whereabouts. He wasn't even able to find any peculiarities with the thick grass on the ground either.

Nie Yan did indeed have some skill. Wei Kai grasped onto his greatsword and gradually drew closer. The shorter the distance between them, the easier it would be for him to find his opponent.

Nie Yan walked alongside the wind, continuously changing direction in accordance with it. Even if he were to step on the grass, it would slant in the same direction the wind was blowing.

* * *

¹ Boiled rice is sort of like rice gruel. Putting already cooked rice in hot water and eating it like that. Pretty bland and tasteless. It's usually eaten by the poor.


	16. Chapter 16 – Arrogant Before, Respectful

**Chapter 16 – Arrogant Before, Respectful After!**

* * *

Seeing Wei Kai draw near, Nie Yan gradually made his way around his opponent. He continued to slowly move until he was behind Wei Kai, and out of his range of vision. Then he began creeping towards his unsuspecting opponent's back, taking long and unhurried steps as he did so.

Wei Kai turned his head, surveying the area in every direction. He was unable to find anything particularly odd. All he could see were endless fields of grass rolling about gently under the influence of the wind, like waves following the ocean breeze.

 _Where the hell could he be?_

This was the first time Wei Kai had come across a Tempest Thief who was actually able to employ Stealth to such a perfect extent. It was reasonable to say that the thick grass beneath Wei Kai's feet was an easy place for a Thief to expose themselves. Yet, Nie Yan seemed to have no issues hiding in the field with the assistance of Stealth.

Wei Kai carefully moved forward with his greatsword held close to his chest, keeping it at the ready. He believed that Nie Yan must've been moving at an extremely slow pace, in order to remain unexposed while stealthed. Hence, he came to the conclusion that Nie Yan was most likely some distance ahead of him.

However, he remained unaware of the fact that Nie Yan was already behind him, having circled around a long time ago.

Approximately three meters were between Nie Yan and Wei Kai's back. Suddenly, a large gust of wind blew forth, turning the gentle breeze into a howling gale.

Just as the wind began to howl—as if he had been waiting for that exact moment—Nie Yan abruptly sprinted forwards. The dagger in his grasp resembled lightning as it struck out, speeding towards Wei Kai's back.

The sound of rapid footsteps and howling wind blended together, creating a mess of sounds that was hard for a person to distinguish. The gust of wind also greatly reduced Wei Kai's awareness.

 _Assassinate!_

Nie Yan's dagger pierced into his target's back, dealing thirty-five points of damage.

Wei Kai never expected his opponent to suddenly appear behind him. He held up the greatsword and swept outwards in a wide slash.

Nie Yan dodged the strike and managed to reposition himself behind Wei Kai once again. He dashed forward, dagger in hand, and stabbed Wei Kai in the back for the second time—causing him to lose twenty-three health.

Out of the hundred and sixty health he had, only a little over a hundred points remained. Since the beginning of the fight, Wei Kai had been completely incapable of keeping up with Nie Yan's speed.

A Berserker's speed relied on their ability to quickly charge forward. A Thief's speed, on the other hand, relied greatly on their ability to make agile and nimble movements. The type of movements the two professions specialized in clearly differed.

Nie Yan's movements were fast and agile, as he stuck close to Wei Kai's back. In this short period of time, he had already managed to attack Wei Kai two times in quick succession.

 _This bastard is as nimble as a monkey._ Wei Kai suddenly roared in anger. An aura began radiating from his greatsword as he started spinning around in circles.

"Whirlwind Slash!"

Wei Kai resembled a top as he spun around with his greatsword.

The moment Wei Kai brandished his sword, Nie Yan judged from the movements that Wei Kai was about to execute Whirlwind Slash, so he quickly retreated back about two meters.

The greatsword unleashed a strong gust of wind as it streaked through the air. The slash barely grazed past Nie Yan, almost directly hitting him. **−9** A damage value floated over his head.

Despite missing, the Whirlwind Slash still managed to cause some damage to Nie Yan.

Wei Kai's attack finally ended after he had rotated three times. He gasped for breath as he thought, _This bastard is so quick at dodging!_

In the split second Wei Kai stopped spinning with his sword, Nie Yan dashed forward; the dagger in his hand aiming straight for Wei Kai's throat— _Vital Strike!_

Tang Yao, Li Yang, and the others were watching the match from outside with dumbstruck expressions. Nie Yan's movements were simply a perfection of art. From the moment he escaped Wei Kai's Whirlwind Slash, to when he attacked with Vital Strike as it ended, the timing of his every action was at the peak of perfection.

After watching Nie Yan, they now understood what PvPing truly meant. It wasn't two opposing sides simply slashing their swords at each other, but rather a battle of awareness and skill.

Within his mind, Tang Yao had a sudden flash of insight. He finally understood why Nie Yan said that his timing when casting spells was incorrect. Depending on whether or not a player took action at the right time, two entirely different outcomes could arise.

He never expected that Nie Yan, whom he had known and grown up with since they were in diapers, would possess this kind of skill. The amount of skill Nie Yan displayed really expanded Tang Yao's horizons. There was a saying: "When a scholar disappears for three days, view them in a greater light." These words were the most appropriate to describe what Tang Yao was feeling at the moment.

Nie Yan's dagger slashed across Wei Kai's throat!

 **−95**

Vital Strike was still as powerful as ever. In just a few attacks, Wei Kai had already been reduced to a mere seven health. Meanwhile, Nie Yan's health was still close to full. It was clear which side had established their superiority.

It was only then that Wei Kai realized the immense gap between the two of them.

"Flame Slash!"

Wei Kai was unwilling to be defeated in such a manner. Just as Nie Yan's Vital Strike ended, he took advantage of the opening that was revealed and brandished his sword towards Nie Yan. The greatsword in his grasp was enveloped by a raging flame as it cleaved downwards in a blazing radiance

The raging heat assaulted his face as it drew closer.

The might of a Berserker's Flame Slash was immense. Nie Yan deeply understood this as a result of firsthand experience. He decisively pulled back, in an attempt to avoid the sharp blade.

Despite this, Wei Kai still managed to catch up to Nie Yan after suddenly accelerating his pace, and the Flame Slash struck him right in the middle of his chest.

 **−56**

A single damage value emerged, floating atop Nie Yan's head.

Nie Yan took the brunt of Flame Slash. Just when he finally managed to regain his footing, Wei Kai activated his Charge skill. He approached with his sword raised, resembling a tank as he came crashing forward.

"Linear Slash!"

The sword aura formed a straight line as it came slashing down.

Nie Yan had only half of his health remaining, and the Charge skill had a brief stun duration. If he collided into Wei Kai, the Berserker's explosive power would be more than enough to kill Nie Yan in a matter of seconds.

So, Nie Yan quickly decided to pull back and retreat again. At that moment, Wei Kai's sword brushed past Nie Yan's face barely by just a few inches. Nie Yan's pupils violently contracted as he sidestepped in an attempt the avoid the attack. He then switched the dagger in his hand to a reverse grip and slashed at Wei Kai's throat.

In the end, he was still sent flying back after being struck by Wei Kai's charge.

As Nie Yan fell to the ground, his opponent's health bar finally depleted. He staggered back up and stood firmly on both feet, then he gazed at his own health; only twenty-five points remained.

 _Mhmm, as expected… Facing a Level 3 as a Level 2 is a little troublesome._

Nie Yan's gaze fell on Wei Kai's corpse. Seeing that he died, Nie Yan put away his dagger.

Moments later, the two were transported away from the PvP arena and back to the auditorium.

"I'm impressed, brat. Who knew you were so capable?! Hahaha." Tang Yao approached Nie Yan as the latter took off his helmet.

"The win was a fluke, I just happened to be a little lucky," Nie Yan said. He had almost been killed by Wei Kai as well. In the end, there just wasn't enough time for him to acquire enough equipment and skills. If he had a few more skills at his disposal, then defeating Wei Kai would've taken much less effort.

"A win is still a win. Not to mention that it was a Level 2 versus a Level 3. Hey, do you know how to play Arcane Mages? Teach me how to play them when we get home, okay?" Tang Yao said as he rubbed his hands together. _It seems Nie Yan really does know a lot._

"I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to Arcane Mages. They have various unique skill builds, all of which requires different tactics. I'll teach you what I know, though," Nie Yan replied. When it came to Tang Yao, he wouldn't conceal things and act selfishly.

"That would be great!" Having witnessed Nie Yan's abilities in battle firsthand, Tang Yao held a firm belief in him.

Nie Yan gazed at his bank card, which displayed a total of six thousand credits. He took three thousand and transferred it to Tang Yao. "The thousand six hundred is what I owe you. As for the other fourteen hundred… consider it me helping recoup your loses."

"It's only a few thousand credits. How could that kind of money be anything between us brothers?" Tang Yao said, sounding a bit displeased. From the start, this money he had never regarded this money with any importance. Nie Yan bothering about it actually made him feel quite unhappy.

"True brothers always repay their debts. If you're still unhappy about… tonight, you can treat me instead," Nie Yan said with a smile.

"You've made so much money today, while I barely broke even. Yet you still have the nerve try and freeload off me!? You're the one treating _me_ to dinner tonight—end of discussion!"

"Fine then. Eating a small loss is no big deal."

"What are we eating tonight? In any case, let's head to a restaurant!"

"A bowl of wonton noodle soup is five dollars. That should be enough to fill you up," Nie Yan said as he stashed away his bank card.

"I say, aren't you being _too_ much of a miser here?"

"Takes one to know one." Nie Yan laughed. He and Tang Yao could be considered birds of the same feather.

Wei Kai and his group walked into the room, having come over from the other area. Tang Yao's expression became grave upon seeing them. He knew that Wei Kai and his people had lost a lot of money today. _They wouldn't fly into a fit of rage, would they?_

A smiling expression still remained on Nie Yan's face. Compared to Tang Yao, he certainly looked a lot calmer.

"Wei Kai, you wouldn't be trying to shamelessly take back the money you just lost, would you?" Tang Yao had inadvertently placed himself in front of Nie Yan. Subconsciously, he still considered Nie Yan to be the same as he was in the past—an easily bullied youth.

"How could I? Money lost is money lost after all, and money won is also money earned. Even this one knows this much when it comes to gambling. You know, they say that even disputes will eventually lead to friendship, so how about we settle our debts and makeup? Young Master Nie and Young Master Tang, when you two have time in the future, you should pay a visit to our little establishment. Hmm?" Wei Kai said with a smile.

Wei Kai had been drifting through society for many years now. Contrary to what one might expect, he had actually learned how to conduct himself properly during those years. He understood which types of people he should not provoke, and as a result, he did not mention their past grievances at all.

"We'll be sure to visit when we have the time." Nie Yan nodded his head. _Wei Kai this guy, he also knows when to advance and when to retreat._

"This one will take his leave first then. Young Master Tang, Young Master Nie, you two have fun," Wei Kai said while smiling, bringing his lackeys with him as he departed.

"What happened to him? Why did he suddenly become so formal and courteous? That's way too abnormal! God damn, it's really making me uncomfortable," Tang Yao said in a baffled tone as he stood by Nie Yan's side.

"Who knows?" Nie Yan let out a faint laugh.

Wei Kai and his group had just left the PK Lounge when one of his underlings spoke.

"Boss, why were you treating that brat Nie Yan so politely? 'Young Master Nie,' does he even deserve it?" Li Yang walked up to Wei Kai and asked in bewilderment.

"You know there's a saying, 'Do not bully the youth when they are poor.'¹ Have you heard it before? In the future when you judge someone, don't just look at the present, you also need to gaze a little further into the distance," Wei Kai replied. He was able to discern that Nie Yan was a hidden dragon. Sooner or later, he would fly up high into the Heavens. It would be in his best interest not to become enemies with such a person.

Li Yang was still at a loss as to what those words meant. However, in comparison to the rest of them, the boss was much more knowledgeable and experienced, thus he thought, _The Boss's words are definitely correct, so I'll listen to him!_

Nie Yan and Tang Yao got into a car and drove off in the direction of a nearby restaurant.

"What's your in-game name?" Tang Yao asked. Nie Yan was a Human thief, so Nie Yan was definitely the same race as him. They both started out in the Viridian Empire!

"Nie Yan (Nirvana Flame). The 'Nie' in Nirvana, and the 'Yan' in fire," Nie Yan replied

"I'll come and find you when I get home then," Tang Yao said. He couldn't help but get excited when he thought of how he could level together with Nie Yan.

"I'm in the middle of a quest right now, so I can't return to the city," Nie Yan said. He still needed to hand in the quest from Physician Blevins. Moreover, he already had arrangements for future matters, so he would be unable to level together with Tang Yao.

"Eh? Nevermind then… How about you just teach me how to play Arcane Mage now, and I'll practice it when I get back home." Tang Yao felt a slight touch of disappointment, though he quickly went back to being excited in a few moments.

"Arcane Mages are basically divided into three groups. First, you've got the ones that are the most universal—Arcane Fire Mages. They wear all sorts of equipment in order to raise their magic damage. Also, the skills they learn are all similar to ones like Arcane Flame Burst; the type that has a high kill potential. Arcane Mages like these are welcome in all teams. Another kind are the Arcane Speed Mages. They wear equipment that gives a bonus to movement speed. Once they start moving, they end up being really fast. Add in the Arcane Mage's relatively short cast time, and you've got a build that's great at PvPing. The remaining group is essentially a balance between the last two. So, what path do you intend to take?" Nie Yan asked.

Tang Yao thought for a while, then started smiling in embarrassment as he asked, "Which group has skill requirements that are a bit on the lower side?"

"That's definitely going to be an Arcane Fire Mage then. As long as they have good equipment, and high damage, all teams will want them. When fighting in a team, all you need to do is keep on attacking and you'll be fine. However, that kind of Arcane Mage has no chance when PvPing." With just a glance, Nie Yan could tell that Tang Yao wanted to be lazy. _This scoundrel's brain isn't dumb; he's just too lazy to use it._

"I won't be able to PvP!? Ahhhh! That's way too boring!" PvPing was just too exciting of an activity for him. Without it, half of the excitement in his life would be gone! Now, Tang Yao felt rather unwilling.

"It's better if you choose a balance of both then. Before you allocate your points, make sure you consult with me first," Nie Yan advised. Conviction was designed so that every five levels from Level 1 to 30 would grant a player five stat points, and one mastery point to allocate. Therefore, for a player, every five levels prior to Level 30 was a minor watershed in combat power.

"Alright then, I understand." Tang Yao happily agreed. If he had Nie Yan helping him allocate his points, then he would be saving himself a lot of trouble. What he hated the most was thinking about these types of complicated matters in the game.

"I still have some business to attend to after we finish dinner. We'll contact each other in the evening when we get in the game, alright?" Nie Yan said.

"Alright."

After the two had dinner, Tang Yao dropped Nie Yan off and then went home himself.

Having been out for so long, Nie Yan had wasted a lot of time. Upon arriving back home, he immediately went off to train, then study once again.

* * *

¹ Courtesy of Deathblade: "It's better to bully an old poor person than a young person. If you bully a poor young person, you never know what that young person will grow up to be, and how rich and powerful they might become"


	17. Chapter 17 – Lacerate

**Chapter 17 – Lacerate**

* * *

As Nie Yan opened up his textbook, various equations ranging from complex mathematics to theoretical physics appeared in front of his eyes. He managed to quickly solve all of them in a surprisingly short amount of time. In light of this development, he noticed that his cognitive abilities had vastly improved since his reincarnation. Though it hadn't reached the point where he developed photographic memory, his memory had still improved quite significantly. Moreover, he sensed that his mind had become sharper as well. For example, he had finished twice the amount of work in half the time when he was studying.

In addition, there was an even more astonishing discovery. He felt neither the slightest bit of fatigue nor weariness despite having intensely exercised for quite a long period of time. In fact, after every training session, he felt his strength increasing in small yet noticeable increments.

Nie Yan was quite satisfied with his current body. As long as he received the proper amount of nourishment, it would rapidly transform and rise in stature— similar to how it had in the past during his senior year of high school. However, there was only one complication: the nutritional supplements he required were simply too expensive. At present, the expenses weren't something he could handle. In fact, the lowest quality nutritional supplements had a price tag of around five hundred dollars, while medium quality ones could cost upwards of several thousand. Sadly, his household carried only two portions; one of which he had already used earlier in the morning.

Finally, at five o'clock in the afternoon, Nie Yan entered the game once more.

Upon reconnecting, he discovered a nearly endless swarm of Water Spiders skittering around him in all directions. It appeared that every single monster in the vicinity had respawned.

Fortunately, players were invulnerable for the first thirty seconds upon reconnecting. They would appear in an ethereal state as if they were a spirit. In this state, they would not only be unable to attack, but monsters would be unable to attack them as well. Nie Yan took a detour around these Water Spiders and swam away from the area where he had concealed himself.

After thirty seconds had passed, he began farming the spiders in the surrounding area once more. Currently, he had already gathered twenty-five Fine Silks and five Rare Fine Silks which came from the Water Spider Leader the day prior.

With his current hunting speed, Nie Yan estimated that it would take around three more hours for him to complete this quest.

 _When I return to town, I'll definitely have to make more money. That way, when I come across another gathering quest like this one, I can just buy the needed materials from the market instead._ With this plan, Nie Yan would have no need to go through the tedious labour of gathering the materials himself.

Another hour passed by, and Nie Yan received a notification—it was from Yao Yao.

「 _Nie Yan (Nirvana Flame), where are you right now?_ 」

「 _I'm still farming Water Spiders. Why, you need something?_ 」He didn't stop killing Water Spiders, even while he chatted with Yao Yao. After activating Assassinate with his right hand, he stabbed a nearby Water Spider with his dagger. As it died, it miserably flipped over and curled up.

「 _My friends and I went to the Treant Forest earlier this morning._ 」

「 _Oh._ 」

「 _Huh, you're not going to ask how it went?_ 」

「 _There's no need for me to ask._ 」Regarding this Treant Forest, Nie Yan already understood this instance quite well. In the past, it had taken him and his friends five attempts to pass the instance. If the party didn't have Warriors with at least sixty defense and two hundred and twenty health, they wouldn't stand a chance. Therefore, it would be impossible for them to clear the instance.

「 _Alright, it was just like you said. Our party was completely wiped. We didn't even manage to get to the Treant King. But nevermind that, one of my friends wants to meet you. We're gonna try and clear the forest again tomorrow. So… can you join us then?_ 」

「 _Come back when your Fighters upgrade their defense, then we'll talk. I'll see if I have the time by then. However, make sure you tell your friend this: In exchange for joining you guys in the Treant Forest, I want to act as the party leader. Furthermore, every single Thief item that drops will go to me._ 」There was a rather decent Thief cloak that dropped from the monsters within the Treant Forest, one that Nie Yan wanted.

「 _You want to be the party leader? Why?_ 」

「 _I don't trust anyone else with leading a team._ 」

「 _This… I'll have to ask. Giving every Thief drop to you is going to be a bit difficult. After all, we have a Thief in our party as well…_ 」Yao Yao's party was set so that drops were distributed equally among their members.

「 _If your team captain doesn't agree to it, then so be it._ 」Nie Yan really didn't want to make things awkward and difficult for Yao Yao on purpose. However, in Nie Yan's eyes, this thief in Yao Yao's party was especially unpleasant.

「 _I'll go ask our captain…_ 」Nie Yan's harsh demands lowered Yao Yao's impressions of him by quite a bit.

The team captain Yao Yao spoke of was a woman named Yu Lan (Blue Feather); a Berserker. Nie Yan's first impression of this woman was her large pair of breasts. Her Berserker armour, which was tightly fitted around her body, accentuated her curves–particularly in the chest area. Moreover, the gap in her armour also exposed an extreme amount of cleavage. When he recalled this memory of her, he couldn't help but slightly tremble.

However, Nie Yan would never dare to provoke Yu Lan. Normally, she was quite friendly and amiable; however, if someone were to irritate her, then her fiery temper would become as large as her breasts. He remembered that there was a time when another player decided to tease her. Yu Lan ended up chasing and killing that player until he dropped five levels.

It was because of such things that this beauty could only be gazed at from afar. She could neither be toyed with nor treated with disrespect. Otherwise, one would most likely find himself being the one toyed with instead.

「 _Also, there's one other thing… Other than the Thief equipment, I also want the jewel that the Treant King drops when it dies._ 」Nie Yan said without a hint of politeness or restraint.

「 _We all just want to try and run the dungeon together… But you…! How can you act in such a selfish way!?_ 」Yao Yao stomped her feet and ended the call. She was furious and frustrated to the point where glistening tears began to flow from her eyes. After fighting and completing their quests together yesterday, she noticed that they actually matched each other quite well. Because of this, she felt that Nie Yan was a rather decent person and even wanted to get to know him better and befriend him. Yet she never thought that, again and again, Nie Yan would continuously crush her good impression of him that she held deep within her heart.

Nie Yan indifferently smiled. Sometimes attempting to explain was superfluous.

Yao Yao hung up the call in anger.

「Ha…」Nie Yan sighed softly. If they were to run an instance together, then it would be better to make some things clear at the start. Otherwise, when the time came, disputes would certainly arise.

At the Tellak Town transfer point, Yu Lan's team had assembled together in the area. In total, there were nineteen individuals gathered together. Among them, the most conspicuous were Yu Lan, who was wearing blue armour, and Yao Yao, who was wearing a White coloured mage-robe while standing in the center.

Like the stars gathering around the moon, everyone there had gathered around, placing these two beauties at the center. Naturally, the team had other decent looking women as well. However, compared to the two beauties in the center, they could only entirely serve as the background.

With her tall curvaceous figure and long slender legs that were almost too alluring, Yu Lan had grown up to be quite a beauty. Her looks could be rated at the highest quality. Despite appearing to be only in her twenties, she gave off the full charm of an adult woman. Though the main reason for this was her large voluptuous chest that easily attracted one's eyes.

On the other hand, Yao Yao was another sort of beauty. With her whole body covered by a white robe, along with her delicate oval-shaped face, and her hair that was tied in a ponytail, she looked pure and beautiful. Anyone who looked at her would've been moved by her charm.

"Yao Yao, what'd he say?" Yu Lan asked when she saw that Yao Yao had disconnected her voice chat.

"He said that if we're gonna go together, then he wants to be the party leader, get all the Thief equipment drops, and he also wants the jewel that drops from the Treant King!" Yao Yao's face was nearly red from anger. Originally she had been quite excited about having Nie Yan as a good friend, and introducing him to Yu Lan. Never did she expect that Nie Yan was actually that kind of person.

"Yao Yao, you're just really too naive. These kinds of people are everywhere. He's definitely just a weak liar who's trying to cheat us out of our drops," said a Thief by her side. He was Chen Bo, a rather handsome man who appeared to be around twenty years old.

Yao Yao wanted to refute those words on Nie Yan's behalf, but after giving it a second thought, she realised that she was too angry to bother. She didn't know why, but for some reason, she still somewhat sided with Nie Yan in her heart. After all, he was actually quite strong. Not to mention that, unlike Chen Bo, she truly didn't think he was trying to scam them for equipment or anything that intolerable.

"That's not necessarily true. He already knows that the Treant King drops a jewel, which means that he's definitely gone to the Treant Forest before. Not only that but cleared it as well. The fact that he was able to make it through the instance with a party of his own, is more than enough to prove his ability to work in a team. Moreover, he's significantly more experienced than us. So it wasn't that excessive for him to request to act as party leader, nor was it excessive for him to receive both the Thief drops and the jewel. Since he bluntly stated his demands to Yao Yao, it shows that he did so with a clear conscience." Yu Lan patted Yao Yao's shoulders. "Yao Yao, you don't need to mind it."

After listening to Yu Lan's words, Yao Yao revealed a relieved smile. Though she was still a little angry at Nie Yan, in her heart she was already feeling significantly better.

Seeing the beautiful smiling expression on her face, Chen Bo felt his heart sink. He didn't know why, but the sudden appearance of this Nie Yan gave him a sense of foreboding.

"We'll rent a piece of Bronze-grade Fighter equipment for tomorrow. Oh yeah, make sure to tell him that we're running the instance tomorrow and that he's invited to join us," Yu Lan said. She had already begun her arrangements.

"Hmph, I'm still gonna ignore him for the rest of the morning. I'll talk to him again in the afternoon." Yao Yao pouted.

"Alright, you can contact him again in the afternoon." Yu Lan nodded while smiling.

During all this, Nie Yan continued to kill Water Spiders. His luck wasn't bad at all, considering that three Fine Silks had dropped in succession. Looking in his bag, he already had twenty-nine of them. Only one more was needed to finish his quest.

Nevertheless, it appeared that hunting monsters early in the morning had its own benefits. For one, the drop rate for various items was comparatively higher.

After killing another Water Spider, Nie Yan reached out with his right hand to collect the loot. _What'd I get?_ As he held up the item to get a closer look, he realized that it was a Thief skill book.

 **Skill Book: Lacerate** **  
** **Description: Thieves can use their daggers to slice into an enemy, causing them to bleed profusely. Targets hit by this attack will take bleed damage every second.  
** **Requirements: Action (requires weapon)  
** **Properties: Cuts into a target creating an open wound. Attack +1. Causes five points of bleeding every second for six seconds.  
** **Cooldown: 30 s  
** **Restriction: Thief, Warrior, Paladin; can be learned by any faction.**

Lacerate was a Basic Skill that synergized well with Assassinate. It could be used to follow up after Assassinate, causing additional lacerations that would make an enemy bleed for five health every second for six seconds.

However, as for it's killing power… the damage from Lacerate, even including its additional bleed damage, was slightly weaker than Vital Strike. Even so, it was still a considerably decent skill.

Presently, this exact skill was what Nie Yan lacked the most.

After learning the skill, Nie Yan turned to face another a Water Spider. Suddenly he received another notification from his voice chat. _This little girl… she's sending another call request_.

Nie Yan answered the call. However, there was an awkward silence between the two that lingered on for what seemed like an eternity.

「 _You know… I originally planned to ignore you and never talk to you again. But… I'm an adult who's willing to be magnanimous, so I won't bother stooping to your level and arguing with you. My party is going to run the Treant Forest tomorrow. So are you going to come or not?_ 」

Nie Yan couldn't help but reveal a knowing smile after imagining Yao Yao's adorable pouting expression.

「Tomorrow… _I—_ 」

「 _No need to explain yourself if you've other business to attend to tomorrow. Just tell me whether you're coming or not. Yes or no?_ 」

Nie Yan was interrupted by Yao Yao just as he was about to speak.

「 _Alright. Just tell me the time for tomorrow, and I'll definitely be there._ 」 Nie Yan smiled helplessly. When it came to this little missus, he had already thoroughly given up.

「 _Hmm… now that sounds better. Good! We'll call you over tomorrow morning. What, are you going to be busy?_ 」Yao Yao was quite pleased with Nie Yan's reply. She immediately hung up, not even giving him a chance to speak further.

 _Hmph! Little boy, we'll see if I can't discipline you,_ Yao Yao thought proudly to herself. When she imagined the distressed look on Nie Yan's face, she couldn't help but giggle to herself.

「 _Doot! Doot!_ 」Upon hearing the sound of the call ending, Nie Yan could only smile bitterly. _It seems that tomorrow I'll have to go for a run in the Treant Forest._ With the distraction gone, Nie Yan continued to kill Water Spiders while steadily speeding up his pace.

After receiving the Lacerate skill, a significant increase in his hunting speed could be seen. By attacking with Assassinate and then following up with Lacerate, he was able to effortlessly kill a Water Spider.

「 _Ding!_ 」A melodious jingle could be heard as a system notification rang out. Nie Yan had risen to Level 3.

After a while, he finished collecting the thirty Fine Silks.

 _I'm finally done._ Nie Yan swam back towards the island to hand in his quest.

 **「 _System: Player Flying Stone has deposited one silver into your personal storage._ 」**

「 _Expert, the strategy you provided us with was really useful! Thanks to it, we've managed clear the Fallen Shaman Camp. As such, the other silver has already been deposited into your storage._ 」Stone informed Nie Yan in excitement.

「 _I've received it. Is there anything else you need?_ 」With the two silvers from Stone plus his recent earnings, he had almost three silvers. With this, he could be considered to have some capital.

「 _One of my friends said that they're gonna form a party to hunt in the Agmota Muddy Wetlands the day after tomorrow. Do you wanna come?_ 」Stone asked with a hint of expectation.

「 _I'm going to be busy the day after tomorrow._ 」The Agmota Muddy Wetlands was a somewhat difficult instance. Though seeing as Stone's party was able to clear the Fallen Shaman Camp, it seemed like their strength wasn't too bad.

「 _Ah… nevermind then. Expert, would you happen to have a guide for the Agmota Muddy Wetlands as well…?_ 」

「 _Ahhh…!? Do you think I'm some kind of god? Agmota Muddy Wetlands is the most difficult Level 3 instance. You think I'm able to make up a guide for it so quickly?_ 」He couldn't keep offering to sell guides for dungeon instances. Otherwise, he'd end up attracting too much suspicion from others. Besides, it would be better for him to wait for a good offer, which would inevitably come after Stone and his team were wiped during their first few attempts.

「Ah. _I'm sorry. I was just thinking out of habit… haha._ 」Stone laughed in embarrassment.


	18. Chapter 18 – Hidden Quest

**Chapter 18 – Hidden Quest**

* * *

Nie Yan and Stone briefly exchanged a few more words before hanging up the call. By this time, he had already arrived back at the island. There, he found Physician Blevins still fishing by the lakeshore.

"Youngster! How many bundles of Fine Silk did you manage to collect?" Physician Plevins asked after seeing that Nie Yan had returned.

"Esteemed Senior, here are the thirty bundles of Fine Silk I've gathered. I'd like to request that Senior have a look," Nie Yan replied in a polite and formal tone that was standard when turning in quests.

"Youngster, I must thank you for your generosity. Please take these thirty Silk Cloths with you as a means to repay your kindness. Furthermore, I have also decided to impart upon you a skill."

 **「** ** _System: Physician Blevins wishes to teach you Intermediate Combat Medic. Will you learn it?_** **」**

Nie Yan felt his heart skip a beat. This was exactly the skill he wanted to learn. Without showing the slightest hint of hesitation, he immediately hit accept.

 **「** ** _System: The Great Mage, Blevins, has taught you a skill. You have learned Intermediate Combat Medic._** **」**

 **Intermediate Combat Medic: Allows the player to create and use Intermediate Combat Bandages while in combat. Requires 10 Silk Cloth. Each bandage replenishes 20 health every second for 10 seconds. Healing can be interrupted after 3 seconds of applying bandages. Bandages can also be used on other party members.**

Ten silk cloths were equivalent to twenty coppers. Although it was a tad expensive, this was still a skill that could save lives in a moment of crisis!

 **「** ** _System: The task Physician Blevins has entrusted you with is 20% complete._** **」**

Nie Yan stared blankly at this notification. Reasonably enough, he believed that the quest would have ended after handing in the thirty Fine Silks, but reality proved otherwise. _What the hell? Why is it only twenty percent complete?_

"Youngster, thirty bundles of Fine Silk is still far from being enough. I still need much more. Would you be willing to help me find more?"

"I'm willing to aid you in your task," Nie Yan hurriedly replied. It appeared that the Combat Medic Skill was merely one of the rewards in this lengthy quest. He was clueless as to what other quest rewards would lie further ahead. "Esteemed Senior. Here are five Rare Fine Silks that I'd chanced upon, though I am unsure of their usefulness."

"Fine Silk becomes Rare Fine Silk after it has undergone processing. Each bundle of Rare Fine Silk is equivalent to six bundles of common Fine Silk," the Old Man explained to Nie Yan. Afterwards, the Old Man inquired further, "So youngster, are you willing to give them to me?"

"Yes," Nie Yan replied. Five Rare Fine Silks were equivalent to thirty ordinary Fine Silks. He had been killing Water Spiders for so long, yet he never once thought to hunt Water Spider Leaders despite them giving better drops.

However, this was to be expected, as killing a Leader-ranked Water Spider was truly too dangerous of a task. In any case, it wasn't something Nie Yan could simply accomplish by himself.

 **「** ** _System: You've received 30 Silk Cloths._** **」**

 **「** ** _System: You've received Headhunter's Silver Leather Armour._** **」**

 **「** ** _System: The task Physician Blevins has entrusted you with is 40% complete._** **」**

Nie Yan felt a pleasant surprise after reading the second system announcement. After opening his bag, he found a silver-coloured piece of armour within his inventory.

Who knew what kind of animal hide was used to make this piece of leather armour. It was tough, durable, and radiated a silver-white lustre. Furthermore, it didn't need to be appraised.

 _Let's take a look at its properties._

 **Headhunter's Silver Leather Armour (Silver)  
** **Requirements: Level 5** **  
** **Properties: Defense 13–17, Strength +5, Dexterity +5  
** **Weight: 3 lb  
** **Restrictions: Thief, Paladin, can only be equipped by a member of the Righteous faction.**

The properties of Silver-grade equipment were at least thirty percent higher than normal equipment. Furthermore, they also included two additional properties. With current market prices, Nie Yan estimated that he could sell this piece of armour for at least five silvers if he put it up in the auction house.

Nie Yan's equipment would improve significantly upon reaching level 5, as he would finally be able to replace his current equipment with the Horn Dagger and Headhunter's Silver Leather Armour.

With these thoughts in mind, he suddenly felt more motivation to level up.

 _This Old Man sure is generous with his quest rewards, and sixty percent of the quest still remains unfinished. If I try to farm ninety more Fine Silks myself though… I'd end up working myself to death! I'll just spend some money to buy the materials off the auction house instead. Ninety Fine Silks… that would be about three silvers. Ah… looking at it this way, I'm still a long ways off from having enough money to spend freely._

 _How can I make some money fast?_ Nie Yan was trying to rack his brain for a solution to this difficult problem. Eventually, he remembered a certain online guide that he viewed in the past.

It was then that Nie Yan had a sudden flash of insight. Back when the game was first released, the most worthless item in the game was a drop by the name of Bat Teeth. It was a material used for crafting Level 0 beginner weapons. Even more laughable, these weapons would come out with pitifully low attack. Thus, for the most part, no one, aside from the occasional player who would purchase a few to level up their Blacksmithing after learning the skill, would buy the Bat Teeth. Other than that, there were just no other players who would bother buying any. Not to mention even if you sold five stacks of them—a hundred bat teeth—to an NPC, you would only receive a single copper. For these reasons, there were quite a few Bat Teeth littered across the ground in the Level 3 Bat spawning area, as few would bother picking them up.

Many players would rather throw them away than have this trash material take up space in their bag. As a result, only the poorest of players would bother picking them up and selling them to the NPC stores.

Nie Yan, however, knew these Bat Teeth had another use. They could be given to a high-level blacksmith in Calore city after triggering his hidden quest. In exchange for ten Bat Teeth—half of a full stack—you would receive a little bit of experience and one copper. Furthermore, you could exchange an unlimited amount of Bat Teeth with this blacksmith. As more and more players discovered this blacksmith, the market price for these Bat Teeth rose accordingly.

 _This sort of business is actually doable…_ Nie Yan couldn't help but have this thought. All he needed to do was head to the Level 3 Bat spawn area and advertise that he's buying a stack of Bat Teeth for one copper. He'd soon have a massive amount of Bat Teeth delivered right to his doorstep. Afterwards, he could exchange all of them with that blacksmith in Calore city and receive his quest reward. This way he could make a profit while also leveling up at the same time. How could he have forgotten something like this!?

Nie Yan no longer hesitated and immediately ran off towards Tellak town. After returning to the town, he retrieved his two silvers from the storage, threw all his unwanted equipment up in the auction house, and then finally went to the appraiser to appraise the Soft Leather Gloves that he looted from the Golden Electric Eel. The gloves ended up being a Level 0 equipment with an additional property of Dexterity +2.

The properties were fairly decent for Level 0 equipment. Nie Yan put the gloves on; they were the first piece of Bronze-grade equipment that he could actually equip.

The gloves radiated a faint cyan glow until Nie Yan turned off the visual effects in equipment settings. It was still best if he kept a low profile. If his equipment was too conspicuous, then he would very likely be followed after leaving the city. After finishing up his business in town, Nie Yan went through the transfer point to Calore city. From there he went directly to the Kade Smithy within the city center.

Calore city housed over sixty smithies that offered various blacksmithing services. You could buy everything from large siege equipment to weapons, armour, and even horseshoes. Only the Kade Smithy differed from this norm. Of all the smithies in the city, it was the most unremarkable.

It was the high-level blacksmith, Kade, who issued the quest to gather Bat Teeth. In his former life, the player who first discovered it was a Paladin. After discovering that this blacksmith, Kade, gave out such a quest, he immediately bought a large amount of Bat Teeth and exchanged them with Kade for a large amount of profit and experience. He wanted to keep this his own secret, so he worked especially low key. However, as this Paladin purchased an increasingly large amount of Bat Teeth, other players began to grow suspicious. What could this Paladin possibly need so many Bat Teeth for? Afterwards, a Thief ended up shadowing him to the Kade Smithy, and the secret became publicized. However, by that time, most players were already over Level 10. The price of Bat Teeth had increased, and no players were willing to sell them for a low price now. It already wasn't worth it for them to go back to the area and farm Bat Teeth for the quest. When those Level 10 players recalled all the Bat Teeth they threw away in the past, they could only helplessly shake their heads and sigh. As for the Paladin who had first discovered this hidden quest, he had already earned overflowing basins full of money from doing this quest in secret for such a long time.

However, at present… the only person who knew of this hidden quest was Nie Yan and Nie Yan alone!

Nie Yan entered the Kade Smithy. Its shopfront was extremely narrow, nevertheless, it was still one of the many smithies designated by the Viridian Empire Military.

As Nie Yan entered the smithy, he saw an NPC apprentice blacksmith.

"Dear customer, may I ask if there is anything you require?" the Apprentice came up and asked.

"I'm looking for Mister Kade."

"I'm sorry, but my master has already gone out," the Apprentice replied apologetically.

"I have some business with him. May I ask when he'll be back?" The Apprentice's reply came as no surprise. This was precisely how the hidden quest was triggered.

"May I ask what business you have with my master? I can pass along a message." The Apprentice sized up Nie Yan, a sharp expression filling his eyes.

"Please let Mister Kade know that I can help him with the current problem he's facing."

"Please wait a moment!" The Apprentice hastily ran out the door.

After a while, the Smithing Apprentice came back with a tall and sturdy-looking blacksmith in his middle ages. He had messy sideburns, and his upper body was completely bare. His whole body was robust and covered in muscles from head to toe. Not only that, but his skin had also turned a dark shade of red after being exposed to the heat of a blazing furnace all year round.

"Mister Blacksmith, rumors say you've met with some worrisome troubles. May I ask what they might be? Perhaps I might be able to help you out," Nie Yan said and then thought to himself, _There should be no problems with my wording here…_

'Coming this autumn, the situation in Hilton Stronghold will become more and more intense. We need much more weapons in order to meet the demands of the soldiers on the frontlines. I need materials—a great amount of them. And at present, I'm clueless as to how I can amass such a large amount of these materials…" Blacksmith Kade said in a distressed manner.

"May I inquire what kind of materials you need? Perhaps I can help you find them."

"I need a large quantity of Bat Teeth. I'm willing to purchase a stack for two coppers if you have them," Blacksmith Kade replied. For Kade, these Bat Teeth were crucial materials he was in desperate need of.

NPCs didn't have much intelligence; they simply followed the instructions given by the main system A.I. They could only issue and receive quests. Hidden NPCs like Blacksmith Kade would not announce their quest publically.

 **「** ** _System: Do you wish to accept Blacksmith Kade's request?_** **」**

 _Yes!_

 **「** ** _System: You have accepted Blacksmith Kade's request._** **」**

"Please be at ease. I will definitely help you find these materials." Nie Yan reassured Blacksmith Kade, then went through a transfer point to the town of Mordor.

There was a large expanse near Mordor where a large amount of Level 3 Bat monsters congregated.

With about several hundred people in it, the town was quite crowded.

"Recruiting people Level 3 or higher for Level 3 Instance, Warriors Tomb. I'm a Mage that deals over thirty magic damage!"

"Recruiting people to hunt bats! I'm a Level 3 Fire Elementalist!"

Players were looking to form parties. Some would end up joining parties, while others would be buzzing around like houseflies. Those who had good equipment would often have an easy time finding a party to join. Meanwhile, those with poor equipment would find themselves being ignored by most parties.

Parties formed one after another and left the town.

It was currently early morning in the game. Once players formed a party, they would farm monsters for the whole day, only disbanding late in the evening.

Nie Yan had set up a booth near the player storehouse. There he put up a sign that read: 'Buying Bat Teeth. One stack for one copper.'

He had just put up the sign, yet there were already many players gathering around him. Many of them always hung around this area hunting Bats, thus their bags were filled with many Bat Teeth. Once they gathered a hundred of them, they would go back and sell them to the NPCs. One copper wasn't much, but no matter how insignificant the amount was, it was still money. Besides, Nie Yan buying Bat Teeth for one copper per stack was a much better deal than selling the materials to an NPC.

The players thought, _Huh? These Bat Teeth litter the ground everywhere. I can actually sell a garbage drop like this for such a high price? Doing the math, I can make a decent profit selling these Bat Teeth._

The everyday income for the average players wasn't very high. Add on their need to purchase equipment and healing items, most players would only have ten or twenty coppers on them at most. Naturally, they were all very willing when they learned that they could make a few extra coppers off of Nie Yan.

"Hey, brother! I have three stacks of Bat Teeth here. Do you want them?"

"Of course. If you have any, I'll take them," Nie Yan said while nodding his head. After briefly sweeping a glance at the ten or so people circling around him, he noticed that five or six of them were already organizing their inventories. Several others were hastily opening up their personal storages, fearful that Nie Yan had collected enough Bat Teeth and no longer wanted any more.

"What are these Bat Teeth used for?" Some players probed and asked.

"I'm using them to level up my Beginner Blacksmithing skill," Nie Yan would reply.

"How does leveling up the Beginner Blacksmithing skill require so many Bat Teeth?"

"I have ten or so friends who are all learning Blacksmithing as well, and they're having me buy the materials all at once. If you're going to sell then sell already. If you're not, then stop standing around and blocking the line," Nie Yan replied indifferently.

"Here, I have two stacks."

Nie Yan glanced at the trade window. He put in two coppers and then hit confirm.

"Here are mine. There are three stacks."

One after another, players continuously made trades with Nie Yan. Those who had more would sell around three or four stacks. While those with less would sell only one or two stacks. There were even a few who hadn't traded anything; they stood off to the side and gazed helplessly. They were the ones who had either already sold all their Bat Teeth to the NPCs, or thrown them away. In either case, they all stood there filled with regret.

While trading, Nie Yan was also depositing the Bat Teeth into his personal storage. His bag only had twenty slots, and simply didn't have enough space to hold all the materials.

More and more people came to trade with Nie Yan. The players who had sold their Bat Teeth would pass this information onto their friends. Then those friends who had Bat Teeth would come over one after another, bringing their Bat Teeth with them.

Before long, Nie Yan had collected over two hundred stacks of Bat Teeth.

Nie Yan hurriedly made an announcement. "Everyone, please wait a moment! All of you, please wait! I'm already out of money. Let me get some more money from my friends first. I'll be back in just a moment—fifteen minutes at most. Everyone, please come back after fifteen minutes, I'll be back here by then."

"I still have some here!"

"Wait! There's mine too!"

Nie Yan pushed through the crowd as he walked out. Finally, he took a deep breath. "Hah… these players are way too enthusiastic…"


	19. Chapter 19 – New Money

**Chapter 19 – New Money**

* * *

Nie Yan arrived back at Calore city after passing through the transfer point. As soon as he arrived, he turned a corner and entered a nearby alleyway. There he activated Stealth after making sure no one was following him. Only after making seven or eight detours through the alleyways, did he finally arrive at the Kade Smithy.

This was a lesson learned from the past. He definitely wouldn't allow the location of the Kade Smithy to be disclosed.

Nie Yan would retrieve the Bat Teeth he had collected from the other player in batches, then transfer and sell them to Kade.

A while later, over two hundred stacks of teeth were sold for four silvers. Two silvers had become four in only half an hour. In addition, he also gained nine hundred experience. Nie Yan noticed his experience bar had already risen to five percent when he glanced at it.

He went back to Mordor after handing over all the Bat Teeth, and continued buying more.

Those players who saw Nie Yan return, fearful that he might soon leave again, immediately lined up and waited to trade.

Mordor was bustling with an unusually high amount of activity due to Nie Yan's actions.

"Everyone, there's no need to feel anxious. After I buy everything I need this morning, I'll be coming back around eight in the evening to buy some more." Nie Yan issued an announcement to the crowd. These players would most likely amass quite a few Bat Teeth after farming monsters for the whole day up till eight in the evening.

By the time he had purchased over two hundred stacks, the amount of Bat Teeth being traded had gradually lessened. After purchasing another one hundred stacks, Nie Yan saw there were no more players coming to trade. Thus he went through the transfer point back to Calore city.

Two Thieves were following him closely. Nie Yan had bought these Bat Teeth all in one go, yet he still had the appearance of someone who looked like they still hadn't had enough. With that sort of behavior, trying not to attract the suspicion of others was difficult in itself.

Nie Yan's mouth curved into a faint smile when he detected these Thieves attempting to track him. At present, those who were able to track him… haven't even been born yet!

Nie Yan turned a corner into an alleyway and activated Stealth, very quickly disappearing from sight.

By the time those Thieves made their way over to the alleyway, all traces of Nie Yan were gone.

"Where'd that guy go?"

"I can't find him."

"Brother, what do you think that guy's gonna do with all the Bat Teeth he bought?"

"Who the hell knows… It definitely isn't for leveling his Blacksmithing though, that's for certain. There's no way in hell Blacksmithing would take that many Bat Teeth to level up, even if he's buying them for his friends. Not to mention he's even coming back for more in the evening. Let's wait until next time."

Those two Thieves who stood at the corner spoke a few more words, then turned around and left.

Gradually, a silhouette emerged from a wall not far from where those two Thieves had been. It was Nie Yan coming out of stealth. He had been just two meters away from them at most, yet they hadn't detected anything in the slightest.

Nie Yan smiled coldly as he gazed at the backs of their retreating figures. It was simply wishful thinking, believing that they could pry into his secret. He wouldn't be so stupid as to reveal Blacksmith Kade's location. He turned around and went further into the alleyway.

Having exchanged all three hundred stacks of Bat Teeth with Kade, Nie Yan now had seven silvers in his pockets. With the current average level of the player base, this could be considered a massive sum of money.

He then ran to Carter town and Yeme town to purchase more Bat Teeth. After exchanging them with Kade, he had a total of twenty-six silvers.

He now understood what it felt like to be rolling in money.

"Ahh… how refreshing."

The amount of money a player had early in the game was essential to their growth in the future.

That Paladin from his past life had made over ten gold coins from this quest. Earning such an amount seemed inconceivable to him when he first entered the game, but now he knew it was possible firsthand. Those players who knew about Nie Yan buying Bat Teeth for a high price would never imagine he was selling them to an NPC. Thus he would be able to make even more money down the road!

A person's confidence would change when they had money, and Nie Yan was no exception. He immediately went off to the largest auction house in Calore city. The equipment and weapons being auctioned there were all at least Bronze-grade or higher. In addition, there were also various uncommon skill books and materials being auctioned off as well. For the most part, players who traded here were those who would often partake in raids.

While on his way to the auction house, Nie Yan decided in advance that he would buy ninety Fine Silks at the lowest possible price. After making the purchase, he deposited his new materials into storage, so he could retrieve them whenever he wanted to hand in his quest. Afterwards, he strolled into the large hall of the auction house.

As expected of the largest auction house in Calore, its construction was quite grand. The pillars within the main hall were built to be dozens of meters high to support the immense roof. The entire length of the hall spanned over a hundred meters. It was as if it was the hall of some vast temple or shrine.

Nie Yan had routinely walked through these halls in his former life. After finding a corner to sit down at, he picked up his bidding device and marked down the quoted prices of the various merchandise that would appear on the magic screen.

He look at page after page of merchandise. Everything listed on the magic screen was separated into categories, making it easy for players to find a specific item they were searching for.

Nie Yan unchecked all the categories that were of no use to him. All that remained on the screen were items that could used by all classes, such as defensive daggers, small round shields, bags, etc…

Player could equip up to five bags. They were divided into slots of sixteen, twenty, twenty-four, twenty-eight, and so on. The larger the bag space, the higher the price.

Each player would be given a starter bag with twenty slots when they began the game. If they wanted more bag space, they could buy a sixteen-slot bag from the market place for ten coppers. As for twenty slot bags… their prices were even higher. Though at any rate, money wasn't really an issue for Nie Yan at the moment.

Money spent could still be earned back in the future. In reality, the real loss was letting it waste away in your pockets.

Nie Yan was using this money to outfit himself with the best equipment.

The auction house had no more than eleven twenty-slot bags up for auction, each one being auctioned off for around twenty coppers. Nie Yan placed bids on four of these twenty-slot bags.

Although the price of the bags Nie Yan bid on gradually rose, his maximum bid never exceeded twenty-two coppers. Before long, he managed to secure four twenty-slot bags.

 _God dammit… tailors are the ones that make the real money,_ Nie Yan couldn't help but think to himself. However it was necessary to have the right connections if one wanted to be successful in a crafting profession. For example, a player could be at ease leveling their crafting skill if they had a guild to rely on and have the guild supply them with an endless amount of materials. Tailors were like this as well. And although many normal players would learn a crafting skill as well, they couldn't compare to those players who specialized in their crafting skill.

Nie Yan's need for money still hadn't degenerated to the point where he needed to become a player that specialized in crafting.

After spending half a silver, he opened up a page that was exclusively for Thief merchandise.

He skimmed through the page, searching for anything that looked interesting. As long as the item was useful, he would buy it without the slightest hint of hesitation. It didn't matter if the item was a little overpriced, he would still purchase it regardless.

The items he bought were all Bronze-grade; a pair of Soft Leather Pants with Dexterity +3, a set of Azure Fur Armour with Strength +2, a pair of Horsehide Boots with Balance +2, and a Silver-tip Dagger with Strength +3. Nie Yan had spent a hefty sum purchasing these four pieces of Level 0 equipment. After replacing his current equipment with his new gear, he was now wearing only Bronze-grade equipment. Any one of these four pieces of equipment would cost a fortune for the average player. If it wasn't for him taking advantage of Kade's hidden quest to make a profit, he definitely wouldn't have dared to spend so much money.

Nie Yan glanced at his equip load after replacing his equipment—16 lb. His weight was still classified as a "Light Load" (0–20 lb), thus his movements wouldn't be hindered at all.

In addition to those four pieces of equipment, Nie Yan also bought three Thief skill books. The first was the passive skill, Enhance Stealth: Stealth and Cloaking receive an additional bonus of +3. The second book taught an attack skill called Concussive Blow: Directly strike an opponent, confusing them and preventing movement for three seconds. This skill has a cooldown of thirty seconds. Finally, the third book taught a skill called Smothering Strike: Strike an enemy from behind, putting them in a confused state for six seconds. Target will awaken from confusion if attacked. This skill has a cooldown of thirty seconds.

These three skill books taught only Level 0 Thief skills, however the market price for them was roughly twenty coppers each. Thieves would be very poor when first starting out in the game. In that respect, Thieves and Mages could be considered fellow sufferers in the same boat, as both classes would end up spending practically all their wealth buying skill books!

Thieves were a class that couldn't survive without skills, but each skill book was quite expensive! Thus they had no choice but to bear through the hard times, living frugally each day so they could purchase a single skill book. Sometimes these players would even be forced to continue wearing their old worn out equipment, just so that they could save a few coppers. Even the Thief players who were somewhat wealthy in real life would sometimes have no choice but to head to the transaction platforms and spend some money to buy in-game currency.

A Thief's true power, their formidable ability to control a fight, would only emerge if a player could endure through these hard times and buy the skills they needed.

Nie Yan had also endured these hardships before, slowly making his way up bit by bit before being reincarnated. Though he was able to easily buy his way through this barrier in his current life.

His skill bar looked that much less empty after learning those three skills. He pulled up the page for skill books again to see if there were any other skills up for sale. As he browsed, the name of an uncommon skill caught his eye.

 **Skill Book: Parry** **  
** **Description: Parry an opponent's attack with your weapon.  
** **Requirements: Action (requires weapon)  
** **Cooldown: 30 s  
** **Restrictions: Thief, Warrior, Paladin; can be learned by any faction.**

Nie Yan couldn't forget this skill. It was something that every close-combat class yearned for—the most valuable asset of any melee class. It didn't matter what kind of situation a player was in, whether PvPing or fighting a monster, being able to parry an attack was a lifesaver.

Parry was a skill that had a one in ten thousand chance of dropping from demonic monsters.

Only one or two players had learned the skill when he participated in a hundred man battle full of Level 60s in the past. This exemplified how rare of a skill it was. Its value was only slightly less than the skill book for Vital Strike.

It didn't matter though… he would buy it anyway!

Nie Yan glanced at the current bid—two silvers. Not only that but the bidding price was constantly rising by at least fifty coppers each time.

The ones who made bids on these uncommon and rare skills were usually wealthy players, teams, or maybe even guild leaders. More often times than not, they wouldn't mind spending a few silvers for the sake of a single skill book.

Two silvers and fifty coppers, three silvers, three silvers and fifty coppers…

The fierce bidding on the Parry skill book attracted the attention of many players.

"It's a rare skill!"

"No wonder the bids are so high…"

Three silvers… it was roughly the same amount that a team would make after clearing a common Level 3 dungeon. Even then the most they could earn would be five silvers.

After a short while, the bidding came to a halt. The auctioned item would go to the highest bidder if ten minutes passed without any further bids.

"Four silvers…" Nie Yan placed his bid. He was determined to get this Parry skill book.

"Four silvers and fifty coppers!?" He didn't know who, but someone increased the bid yet again.

This price could terrify the overwhelming majority of players in the game.

At this moment, it was simply a matter of which side was more willing to throw their money away. "Five silvers!" Nie Yan increased his bid once more… No matter what he'd still have many more opportunities to earn money in the future. This amount wasn't something he'd be lacking in the slightest.

"God damn. Who the hell is that rich? To spend that much money for a single Parry skill book…"

All of the players at the auction were already discussing it in private. A single Thief skill book being auctioned for such a price… This was just too terrifying.

"There truly are a lot of wealthy people."

The price didn't increase for a while. It seemed the other party had been scared off by Nie Yan's bid. The Parry skill book entered his bag after ten minutes passed.

After learning the skill, he bought a vial of poison used by Thieves to coat their daggers for thirty coppers. It could be applied three times before running out, and would cause an enemy to lose ten percent of their defense after being poisoned.

Finally he was done purchasing everything he needed. Furthermore, the items he had auctioned earlier had been sold. Currently he still had sixteen silvers remaining in his pockets.

Despite having learned so many new skills, Nie Yan didn't need to practice with them at all. This was because he was highly familiar with both the Thief Skills and the class itself. He could use these skills with ease right off the bat, thus his strength had increased significantly after learning them.

Nie Yan now had a lot more confidence when comparing himself to those who had started when the game first released. Using the game knowledge of his past life, he could now pave a path for his future development. Then in the future he could walk down this path unobstructed.

Afterwards he crafted the Silk Cloths in his bag into bandages, which could be used in case of emergency. He also bought bread and other useful items that could replenish his strength. Furthermore he now had a bag full of Basic Health Potions and Basic Recovery Potions.

 **Intermediate Combat Medic: Skill Mastery 10/500**

 _Should I head off and level then?_ Nie Yan immediately thought of several leveling locations that were very suited for Thieves to train in.


	20. Chapter 20 – Killing a Red Name Player

**Chapter 20 – Killing a Red Name Player**

* * *

 _I suppose I'll check Spiritmyth Pond first._ _There should be a few treasure chests there, not to mention the drops aren't too bad either. Though I don't know whether or not the chests have already been found by someone else._ 「Ding!」 While contemplating this matter, Nie Yan suddenly received a notification.

 **「** ** _System: Player Yao Zi (Young Sparrow Hawk) has sent you a friend request._** **」**

「 _Nie Yan, it's me,_ 」Tang Yao said in an anxious tone.

「 _What's the matter?_ 」Nie Yan asked. The anxiousness in Tang Yao's tone caused him to furrow his brows.

「 _I've been cornered at Levin Hills,_ 」Tang Yao said depressingly. The only person he could think of who could help him out at this moment was Nie Yan.

「 _What, who's got you cornered?_ 」

「 _People from the Radiant Sacred Flame guild. There's at least twenty of them! All five of my teammates were killed by those bastards. Only I alone managed to escape… If it wasn't for Lei Zi (Young Thunder) shielding me, then I would've died as well. Right now those guys are blocking the only two exits from Levin Hills._ 」 Lei Zi was Nie Yan and Tang Yao's classmate in middle school. However, unlike Tang Yao, he wasn't very close to Nie Yan, as they had only made brief contact in the past.

 _Radiant Sacred Flame…_ Nie Yan had actually heard of this guild before. It was a large guild, similar to Victorious Return. In the past, around the time he had reached Level 60, Conviction's developers implemented the guild ranking system. Radiant Sacred Flame was one of the guilds that had ranked in the top sixties. Even as the years went by they never fell below the top one hundred.

"Hide well. I'll be there in just a moment," Nie Yan advised. Tang Yao would very likely be killed if he was late by even a few moments. Dying meant the loss of a level. This would be an extremely unfortunate outcome for Tang Yao.

Nie Yan entered a scroll shop and bought five Return Scrolls, five Basic Haste Scrolls, and five Basic Strength Scrolls. He only needed to give Tang Yao a Return Scroll and the latter would be able to be safely teleported to the nearest city or town. As for the other scrolls, he prepared them in case he needed them later on.

A single Return Scroll would cost upwards of thirty coppers. As for the Basic Haste and Strength Scrolls, they were slightly cheaper at twenty coppers each. Both these scrolls had a duration of thirty seconds. Basic Haste Scrolls would increase movement speed by twenty percent, whereas Basic Strength Scrolls would increase strength by five points.

For players who weren't so wealthy, these scrolls were items that many of them couldn't bear to use. No one would dare act like Nie Yan and buy this many scrolls in one go.

He also bought more Basic Health Potions in preparation for the future.

Nie Yan put away the scrolls and hastily made his way towards the nearest transfer point. He was equipped with Bronze-grade equipment that gave stat bonuses such as Dexterity +5 and Move Speed +2. As a result, his current movement speed vastly outstripped the average player.

He quickly arrived at the transfer point and teleported straight to Link town. After emerging in the town, he immediately sprinted off towards the north.

「 _How'd you guys get into a scuffle with them in the first place?_ 」

「 _We met a Leader-class monster in the area where we were hunting Level 3 mobs. While we were fighting it, a group of people came over and tried to forcefully steal the kill from us, just because they had the advantage in numbers. In the end, our party's Thief managed to grab a piece of Bronze equipment when the Leader-class monster died. Those guys weren't willing to accept that, though, so they tried to kill us afterwards. Now three of them have their names marked red._ 」Tang Yao seemed to be out of breath while he said all this. It appeared that he was still hiding from his pursuers.

「 _How much longer do you think you can hold out for?_ 」

「 _Luckily, Levin Hills is a pretty wide area. So as long as I keep moving around, they shouldn't even think about catching me within the next hour, especially considering how few people they have. That is… unless they call for more reinforcements._ 」

「 _One hour is enough. I'll make sure to thoroughly have fun with them._ 」Nie Yan was beginning to grow restless. He was equipped from head to toe with Bronze-grade equipment and had learnt many new skills. He was just itching to go, now that he had found new opponents to test them out on.

「 _What're you gonna do?_ 」

「 _This brother is going to vent some frustrations on your behalf,_ 」Nie Yan confidently replied.

「 _How many people do you have with you?_ 」Tang Yao asked, bewildered. He couldn't help but wonder if Nie Yan actually managed to bring a lot of people with him.

「 _None, just me._ 」

「 _Is this some kind of joke!?_ 」Tang Yao felt this was simply too ridiculous.

「 _Haha! W_ _hat do you think?_ 」Nie Yan replied. At present, most players in the game weren't that strong. After all, they've only been playing the game for about a week. To put it simply, they were all still novices. Even guilds like Radiant Sacred Flame would be hard pressed to find even a single member that could rival Nie Yan, let alone having the bottom ranking runts facing him.「 _I can't wipe them all out, but taking care of a few of them shouldn't be a problem._ 」

Nie Yan had ten years of experience playing a Thief. He knew all the skills used by each and every class for PvP. Not to mention he understood combat strategies like the back of his hand. _Even if they have more people… so what?_

「 _Don't go getting yourself killed, though. If the situation starts looking dangerous and you can't help me, then so be it. Even if I die, I'll only lose one level. It's nothing to lose your head over._ 」

「 _No worries. Find a place to hide and don't come out. Just sit back and watch._ 」

The entrance to Levin Hills was a small ravine that allowed only three to four people to pass through at a time. Steep vertical cliff faces flanked the ravine on both sides.

There were three players guarding this entrance: a Level 3 Berserker, a Level 3 Elementalist, and a Level 2 Priest.

Among the three, only the Elementalist had their name marked red.

Their companions had already gone in to chase after Tang Yao, leaving only these three to guard the entrance.

And the hapless Tang Yao was trapped inside, just like a turtle in a jar.

"Damn! That bastard is as slippery as a loach. Even after all this, we still haven't managed to catch him. What's worse is that I don't even know when this red mark on my name is going to disappear. I can't even enter any towns or cities until it goes away," the Elementalist cursed while chatting with his teammates.

"Captain Dian Cang (Blue Drop), don't be angry. There's no problem as long as you don't get killed by someone before your red name disappears. Besides, we gained a lot of profit from this. Each of those five people we killed dropped a piece of equipment," the Berserker consoled.

"Peh! Those five pieces of garbage aren't worth ass. If it weren't for those brats thinking they could actually steal our equipment, putting me in a shitty mood, then this old man wouldn't even have bothered with them." the Elementalist named Dian Cang replied disdainfully.

"Captain Dian Cang you're truly like an invincible god. You managed to single-handedly take out three of them by yourself. Remember when you cast Scorching Flame Explosion earlier? The way you used it was simply too exquisite!" the Priest next to him began flattering and fawning.

"Hmph! Those three were just weak. It only took one Scorching Flame Explosion to take out over half of their health. If it weren't for their small amount of magic resistance, they surely wouldn't have survived!" Dian Cang said, somewhat pleased with himself.

The nearby Berserker and Priest were simply followers of this ill-tempered Elementalist. It seemed that his position within the Radiant Sacred Flame guild was rather high.

The three chatted on idly like this.

"Ah! A red name. Looks like today's meal will be rather decent." Nie Yan cackled with a strange laugh while hiding far off in the distance. If a player with their name marked in bright red like this Elementalist were to be killed, then not a single a piece of equipment on their body would remain. Everything equipped would drop!

Furthermore, the equipment this Elementalist donned didn't look half-bad. He wore a blazing red mage gown that resembled flowing flames. He held in his hands a dark crimson redwood mage staff with a fiery blaze that circulated at the top. It appeared to be a part of the Fire Chaser set, but Nie Yan himself wasn't too sure.

This Elementalist was going down a route that focused on fire damage. The high damage from his fire spells was going to be a slight pain to deal with. The nearby Berserker also looked like he would be hard to handle. As for the Priest by their side, he could simply be ignored. Most priests still haven't even learned Heal this early in the game. Therefore, they would just follow the team from behind and leech experience.

Dian Cang swept his eyes over the surroundings. The steep inclines of the nearby mountains made the background slightly difficult to blend into. However, Nie Yan had learned the Enhance Stealth passive skill, so it wouldn't be much of a problem.

He entered stealth and slowly moved towards those three players.

He grasped the dagger in his right hand, holding it in a reverse grip, and slowly crept closer. At about five meters away, he was able to clearly make out the expressions on each of their faces.

The Elementalist Dian Cang felt something peculiar and glanced over the nearby area. Seeing this, Nie Yan quickly halted his steps and exercised control over his breathing. _Seems this Elementalist has a rather high_ _Awareness_ _._

"Captain Dian Cang, what's wrong?" the Berserker asked with a bewildered expression. He looked around, but all he saw was empty space.

Dian Cang searched the surroundings once more with a more focused gaze, but still didn't discover anything. He shook his head and said, "Nothing, probably just my imagination."

Nie Yan faintly knitted his brows. He could tell this Dian Cang was experienced in PKing, because he was able to vaguely sense Nie Yan's presence from such a far distance.

The more points a player had in Awareness, the easier it would be for them to detect hidden enemies such as Thieves.

 _I can't take my opponents too lightly._ Nie Yan inwardly reminded himself. Numerous bitter experiences in the past reminded him that underestimating an opponent would often lead to defeat.

Nie Yan lightly tread forward, occasionally altering his walking speed. After calming his mind, he gradually entered a Thief's stealthing state, and completely merged with the background.

"Captain Dian Cang, who knows where that Arcane Mage could be hiding up in the hills. Maybe Bai Mao (White Hair) and the others have already lost him," the Berserker said after taking a quick glance at Dian Cang's expression.

"Oh," Dian Cang absent-mindedly replied.

"That brat is pretty cunning. He nearly killed Dong Zi (East Child) just now," the Priest informed after looking at the party chat.

"Mhmm… his defense is too weak," Dian Cang answered back. He seemed preoccupied with something else.

The Berserker and Priest were quite puzzled. _What's going on with the Captain? Why is he so absent-minded?_

By this time, Nie Yan had made his way behind Dian Cang, and was unable to see the expression on the latter's face.

He was now only two meters away from Dian Cang. Nie Yan attentively gazed at his target's back. After making some quick measurements, he found that he was about three meters away from the other two. _It's about time._ He resembled a cheetah as he patiently stored up power in his legs before suddenly pouncing towards his target—Dian Cang!

"Brat! I was waiting for you to show yourself!" Dian Cang laughed sinisterly. He retreated back and brandished the staff in his hand. "Fierce Flame Ring!"

He had discovered Nie Yan long ago! His eight points of Awareness weren't something to be trifled with.

Even if they were stealthed, it would still be incredibly difficult for a Thief to leave behind no traces in front of an expert.

The Elementalist had intended to lure Nie Yan closer so he could kill him with the help of the nearby Berserker and Priest!

"You took a fancy to this old man's equipment? Do you think you'll still have a life to snatch it with?" Dian Cang smiled disdainfully. He thought Nie Yan was no more than a passing Thief who was lusting after his equipment. One who was urged on after seeing his red name and the type of gear he was wearing. From the start, he never thought Nie Yan and Tang Yao were connected.

Dian Cang finished casting his spell. Immediately, a blazing ring of fire emerged out of thin air, expanding outwards in every direction as it headed towards Nie Yan.

After casting Fierce Flame Ring, the Elementalist immediately retreated backwards.

Nie Yan was assaulted by the sensation of scorching flames!

Nie Yan was inwardly surprised. _This guy's reaction speed is pretty quick…_

"Thief!" The nearby Berserker and Priest finally reacted to the situation and immediately began taking action.

At present, it was much too dangerous for Nie Yan to turn his back on them and try to make an escape. If the Berserker were to start off with Charge, and then the Elementalist and Priest were to follow up with their attacks, he would undoubtedly die!

"Kill him!" Dian Cang forced Nie Yan to halt his steps by casting Fierce Flame Ring. The Berserker seized this opportunity and went to cut off his escape. Meanwhile, Dian Cang started putting more distance between himself and Nie Yan so that he could calmly cast spells from the back.

How could Nie Yan not understand his intentions? He knew that retreating at this moment was the same as asking Dian Cang to barrage him with spells.

With a flick of a finger, a scroll appeared in his hand. Although he was a little regretful, he still used it without the slightest bit of hesitation.

 **「** ** _System: Your movement speed has been increased by 20% for 30 seconds!_** **」**

Nie Yan's base movement speed was already quite high. However, with the twenty percent increase, it had reached an astonishing level. He welcomed the oncoming blaze head on and rushed forward.

「Boom!」An explosion rang out as the Fierce Flame Ring struck Nie Yan.

 **−35**

 **「** ** _System: The opposing party led by player Dian Cang (Blue Drop) has taken the initiative to attack you. You are free to retaliate in legitimate self-defense. Time: 30 minutes._** **」**

The retaliation period increased to thirty minutes when facing a small party. It would increase even further in team battles or guild wars.

The magic damage from Dian Cang's Fierce Flame Ring was quite high. If Nie Yan hadn't changed his old gear to his current Bronze-grade equipment, this Fierce Flame Ring would've surely taken out at least the greater half of his health!

Sparks scattered in every direction as Nie Yan rushed through the Fierce Flame Ring, rapidly drawing closer to Dian Cang. He stabbed out with his dagger, aiming directly at his opponent's chest.

Dian Cang had originally hoped that his Fierce Flame Ring would force Nie Yan to withdraw. He never thought that Nie Yan would be so unwavering in his offense, pushing ahead instead of retreating. His speed was even faster than it was just moment prior. Moreover, he hadn't expected that his spell would do so little damage to Nie Yan. He honestly thought that it would deal around fifty damage at the very least.

He hastily retreated backwards while casting Small Fireball.

"Assassinate!"

「Splash!」Blood gushed out and splattered everywhere. Nie Yan had met the spell head on as his dagger penetrated Dian Cang's chest.

Finally, within melee range, his dagger flashed with a chilling light.

This wasn't the first time Dian Cang had faced a Thief in combat, but it was definitely the first time he had felt such enormous pressure. Nie Yan's damage was quite high, and his movements were extremely quick.

 _He used a scroll!_

Dian Cang hurriedly drew back and pulled out a talisman for his next spell. As he put some distance between himself and his opponent, he prepared to cast Scorching Flame Explosion.

Scorching Flame Explosion required five syllables, two gestures, and a magic catalyst to cast; the spell wouldn't cast if even one of these components were missing. Fortunately, the talismans could be bought in stores and weren't expensive at all.

The Berserker came around from the side, then leapt into the air and cleaved down towards Nie Yan with Flame Slash. He was covering for Dian Cang so that the latter could cast their spell.

The two had fairly good teamwork. The Berserker had managed to block Nie Yan at a crucial time.

Red coloured fire elements began rapidly coalescing. In Dian Cang's arsenal of spells, Scorching Flame Explosion had the highest amount of damage. If the opponent's magic resistance was low, it was even possible for them to be instantly killed on the spot.

The magic resistance of Thieves could only be considered average. Their base magic resistance was equal to sixty percent of their defense.

The casting time for Scorching Flame Explosion was five seconds.

Seeing the Berserker leap at him from the side, Nie Yan waited until the edge of the oncoming blade was in front of his eyes. In that moment, Nie Yan swiftly and elegantly raised his dagger, parrying the blow.

The six-inch dagger and Berserker's greatsword clashed against each other. A sharp metallic sound rang out, jolting both players at the same time. The Berserker's greatsword struggled to advance by even half an inch.

Dian Cang continued retreating backwards while chanting out cryptic sounding syllables one after another. His voice radiated out with a muffled yet explosive power.

This voice was beckoning the elements to his call.

「Bang!」A ray of holy light had struck Nie Yan, dealing thirteen damage. Although this Priest's damage output was limited, he still continued to attack Nie Yan regardless.

Nie Yan quickly went in pursuit of Dian Cang once more after he had parried the Berserker's attack.

The Elementalist's heart shook in awe after witnessing this Thief who was still advancing forward, even after facing an onslaught of fierce attacks. _What a valiant Thief!_

Nie Yan clearly understood that he had no time to think because he would lose his life if he hesitated in the slightest. In order to preserve his life, he could only put it at stake.

He bravely faced the enemy head on so that he could achieve victory.

Countless years of PvP experience from his past life gave Nie Yan extremely sharp instincts. He wouldn't lose!

Three seconds… four seconds… blazing flames were rapidly coalescing into a huge mass atop Dian Cang's staff. Soon the flames had rotated into a chaotic mass of deadly scorching fire essence.

Nie Yan dashed forward at full speed and arrived in front of Dian Cang.

"Concussive Blow!"

In the end, Dian Cang was just a step slower. Nie Yan bashed his dagger into the Elementalist's skull. The Scorching Flame Explosion rapidly collapsed before completely dissipating into thin air.

Concussive Blow had the effect of interrupting attacks. Therefore Nie Yan attacking Dian Cang with Concussive Blow in the middle of casting caused Dian Cang's spell to be cancelled.

Nie Yan felt the tight heartstrings in his chest loosen by a bit. _I barely made it. If I had let him successfully cast Scorching Flame Explosion, I just can't imagine what sort of consequences there would've been._

The Berserker's Flame Slash had been parried, and in the blink of an eye, Nie Yan had already gotten out of his attack range. Furthermore, he had also managed to interrupt and stun Dian Cang.

 _Too fast._ The Berserker felt a chill in his heart. Nie Yan's speed was much faster than any other Thief he had seen before. However, he didn't have the time to continue staring out blankly. He brandished his sword and activated Charge. The Berserker resembled a tank as he came crashing forward in Nie Yan's direction.

"Vital Strike!" Nie Yan completely ignored the incoming Berserker. He took advantage of Dian Cang's dazed state to activate Vital Strike and pierce his dagger into Dian Cang's heart.

 **「** ** _System: Vital Strike successful! Attack +5%, causing additional damage!_** **」**

The sixty or so health Dian Cang had remaining immediately started to plummet, then completely disappeared.「Thud!」Everything he was wearing, from his upper body to his lower body, dropped. From his headgear to his mage robes, gloves, pants, and boots, not a single piece of equipment remained. Every single piece of equipment had dropped and fallen on the ground.

 **「** ** _System: You have killed a red name player, and receive Fame +1!_** **」**

In the game, it was possible to receive a little fame for killing a player who had their name marked in red. However, you wouldn't receive any more fame after killing the same red-named player more than three times. Killing red-named players wasn't the only way to earn fame, though, players would also receive it for completing missions. The higher a player's fame, the easier it would be to receive certain missions. Fame would also allow players to receive more preferential treatment in towns and cities.

By the time Nie Yan had killed Dian Cang, the charging Berserker had finally arrived and came slashing down with his sword. Nie Yan dodged by side stepping, and their shoulders brushed as the charging Berserker missed his target.

Nie Yan was right before his eyes. The Berserker had been absolutely certain his attack would hit Nie Yan. He never expected that Nie Yan would actually dodge all of a sudden, leaving him to continue charging far off into the distance.

"All of the captain's equipment dropped! Quickly, pick it up!" the Berserker anxiously shouted. Dian Cang was an important figure within the Radiant Sacred Flame guild and someone who frequently participated in guild dungeon runs. Every piece of equipment on his body was extremely valuable and rare. Even if you compared it to the entire guild, it would still be considered more valuable. If one were to estimate their value, they would be worth more than ten silvers!

However, the dropped equipment was just too far away from him. When he looked back, he found that Nie Yan was already beginning to pick the equipment up.

The Priest quickly ran over to where Dian Cang dropped his equipment after dying. Just prior, he had run off into the distance, casting spells from the back in order to evade Nie Yan. How could he possibly make it back in time to grab some of the equipment?

Just as Nie Yan had bent over and stuffed two pieces of equipment in his bag, a ray of holy light struck his body.

 **−17**

A damage value floated above Nie Yan's head.

 _Linear Slash!_

The Berserker came leaping forward with his sword, slashing towards Nie Yan.

Nie Yan ignored the oncoming Berserker's slash and continued stuffing one piece of equipment after another into his bag.

 _Ah… that's everything. Picking up equipment sure does make a person happy._ By the time he lifted his head back up, the Berserker had already arrived in front of him.

「Bang!」The Berserker's sword aura struck Nie Yan's body, causing him to lose twenty-two health.

Nie Yan only had twenty-three health remaining, yet he still maintained a cool head. He rapidly fell back and drank a Basic Health Potion.

"Brat! Let's see if I can't hack you to death!" Dian Cang had been killed. If he didn't kill Nie Yan, then he would have a hard time facing Dian Cang. As a result, he frantically pursued Nie Yan with bloodshot eyes.


End file.
